Ascension of the Azure God
by Ragdain
Summary: A slight change in the course of history, the intervention of god, and a change in the destiny of the world of Ninja. Major AU, graphic violence, Gender-Shift Naruto, Evil Naruto. NEW: I am currently editing my chapters for Ascension of the Azure God, Chapter one is the same but Chapter two is up now.
1. An alteration in history

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything associated or belonging to Naruto, Bleach, Claymore, or any other associated anime or cartoon. This Fanfiction is the property of Ragdain, as well as all original characters and OC's.**

**Rise of the Azure God-**

"Normal Talk: "Hey stupid Fox."

"Bijū or Celestial Talk: **What Brat?"**

"Normal Thoughts; _Ha, you just admitted to being stupid!"_

"Bijū or Celestial Thoughts; _**Why you little…"**_

"Jutsu Incantations:** Futon no Rasen Tenkyuu**"

Prologue: The Red-Eyed Goddess

When the Clan's of the Blood Inheritance Limit wielders, otherwise known as Bloodline Limit, were still roaming the Elemental Nations, the concept of the Hidden Villages still just a thought and the Juubi the 10 Tailed Bijuu roamed free. There was a legend of a creature like the Juubi, a construct of pure chakra so immense and dense that it had to float or risk shattering the landscape with every step but having none of the demonic taint. It was said to be a celestial being that had fallen from the grace of heaven itself and had been cast down to earth as punishment for crimes unknown.

Many brave warriors and Hero's of renown tried to find this strange entity to best it in battle and gain glory or to seek knowledge and enlightenment. Those who searched for glory by defeating it were bested in seconds, even the greatest warriors and Hero's of the world were no match for it.

However those who searched it for enlightenment told tale of a woman-like entity with sclera as black as obsidian and irises as red as the noblest of blood. Her skin was said to be the color of platinum, as smooth and as marble and polished like diamond. In contrast it was known to be as soft as the fairest maiden's skin. Her hair was said to be spun of the purest jewels and sharpest of blades, bound together by golden flame that bled blue. It was soft and smooth as feather down and silk, but when she willed it could become as sharp as the mightiest of blades. She was bestowed the title of the Red Eyed Goddess by those who sought knowledge and faith. However for those who sought a challenge to conquer or had souls of shadow she was known as the Goddess of Blood and Blades.

1000 years after the rise of the Red Eyed Goddess there came a monk who professed the enlightenment of chakra. He founded Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, Genjutsu, Kenjutsu, Senjutsu, and Fuuinjutsu. Before his death the Sage and the Goddess fought the Juubi to stop its rampant rampage throughout the land. The Goddess weakened it with her power while the Sage tore its power from its body and sealed it into himself. He then used his power to seal the Juubi's body into a sphere of earth and used it to create the moon so that it could never be revived. On his death bed he knew that the Juubi would reform if something wasn't done and so separated the Juubi's malicious chakra into 9 bodies giving rise to the Nine Demon Lords. The Monk decided to reward the Red-Eyed Goddess for her help and granted her all his knowledge of chakra. With this gift of knowledge the Red-Eyed Goddess came to have a complete enlightenment of chakra in its entirety, something that only the sage himself had ever before achieved. With this knowledge she was able to recreate the secrets of the Yin-Yang release and helped build upon his teachings. With the knowledge of the Sage and the enlightenment of chakra the Red-Eyed Goddess was able to achieve a dimension of skill beyond Ningen comprehension. With the enlightenment of chakra the Goddess was able to harness her own immenseness energies and gain control of all her limitless celestial youki, the Goddesses equivalent of chakra.

This was the most common theory of how the Goddess learned the secrets of chakra. The truth of where she learned of the enlightenment of chakra and her true age was lost 300 years after the sage of Six Paths. When scholars came to ask of this the Goddess revealed that while most of their lore was accurate, her age couldn't be put into a number that they would understand. She revealed that she was more ancient the planet and the stars themselves.

After another 200 years, Hashirama Senju created the Village Hidden in the Leaves in Konohagakure, the land of Fire. At the base of what would soon to be know as the Hokage Mountain and became the Shodai Hokage, the first Fire Shadow. To promote peace he used his Blood Inheritance Limit or Bloodline Limit called the Mokuton, the ability to control plants and the 9 Bijuu of the world to capture them and give them to the other 4th Great Hidden Villages that arose after his own. It was meant as a sign of peace but in the end all it accomplished was misery beyond compare when the Hidden Villages created Jinchuuriki, super soldiers of the highest order.

When he heard tail of the Red-Eyed Goddess in the Forest of Death and her similarity to the Bijuu the Shodai Hokage entered the Forest and used his Bloodline Limit to try and control her. Unfortunately, unlike the Bijuu whose chakra was actually menacing and dense the Red-Eyed Goddess had Celestial youki, a type of Life-Elemental chakra 50 times denser than Humans and 5 times denser than malicious chakra.

So when the Shodai tried to control her he was only partially successful, he could control her movements but she had so much chakra and it was so dense that it was like trying move a puppet made with pure lead parts with thin cotton string. The Shodai Hokage discovered this when the Red-Eyed Goddess was asleep but apparently the attempt was so futile that she didn't even deem it important enough to wake up for. However, never one to let insolence pass, it was rumored that the Red-Eyed Goddess opened one eye and used his own power against him. Apparently she made him stand in a corner, much to his own embarrassment, for 3 days strait. After that incident the Shodai Hokage left her alone.

20 years later at the Valley of the End, Madara Uchiha tried to use his Sharingan to try and gain control of the Red-Eyed Goddess but faced a similar problem the Shodai Hokage did. The Red-Eyed Goddess was completely immune to Genjutsu and so he had to fall back on using the Kyūbi, the 9 Tailed Fox in their soon to be epic battle.

Finally in the time of the Namikaze Minato the Konoha no Kiiroi Senkō or Konoha's Yellow Flash, the only Ningen to surpass Kage level; when Madara Uchiha attacked Uzumaki Kushina, princess of Whirlpool country, when she was pregnant with Naruto Uzumaki and tried to unleash the Kyūbi did the Red-Eyed Goddess act.

When Kushina and Minato were about to begin to seal the Kyūbi into their son a massive surge of energy erupted from the center of the Forest of Death. All eyes, even the Kyūbi, who was still under Madara's control, were drawn to the eruption of energy. The flux of energy tore into the visible spectrum of light as its density and power increased exponentially and which was now a visible maelstrom of chaotic energy spiraling into the clouds. For just a moment, for those who cared to look, one could have sworn that the flames touched the stars. However what really grabbed the attention was the unholy killing intent and cold fury which roared its anger into the sky for all to hear.

The energy maelstrom, for there was no other description that would fit, seemingly imploded into a swirling kaleidoscope of light and energy. From its heart a torrent of golden electrified flames 10 feet in diameter shoot out and smashed into the Kyūbi with a thunderous 'boom'. The impact alone flattened everything in 100 feet and hurtled the Kyūbi out of the Hidden Village and 3000 feet to the north of the village. From where the explosion originated the Red-Eyed Goddess, in all her haunting beauty and ferocity, charged out to attack the Kyūbi for seemingly no reason with a aura of electric golden flames whose corona bleed blue. The on looking Ninja, who luckily weren't close enough to the Kyūbi to have been killed by the blast, could only watch on in stunned silence.

The Kyūbi quickly recovered from the crater where the blast had thrown it when the Red-Eyed Goddess seemingly materialized in front of it. The Kyūbi automatically gathered a mass of malicious chakra in its tail and swatted it at the Goddess, not quite comprehending what exactly it had engaged. However that was rectified quickly when the Red-Eyed Goddess grabbed the offending tail, the mass of menacing chakra seemingly dissipating instantly the moment it touched her electrified flaming aura. With seemingly no effort she lifted the titanic Kyūbi by its tail and slammed it hard into the ground with one hand while the other, which had been gathering energy, unleashed a torrent of electrified flames similar to the attack that knocked it out of the village. The only difference was that this attack was only 2 feet in diameter. However the Kyūbi learned quickly that these blasts hurt more than the big ones when the blast pierced center of its chest and out where it spinal cord would have been. That is if it was anything more than a construct of malicious chakra.

The Kyūbi roared in anger, the roar itself shredding everything within 1000 feet; however the Red-Eyed Goddess was completely unaffected. In retaliation she threw the titanic Bijuu 3 miles into the air and fired off a salvo of electrified flaming torrents that each struck the Bijuu with enough force to literally tear its malicious chakra construct apart. One blast blew off its paw, while another blew a hole in its stomach, another blast blasted off its bottom jaw while another tore off its arm. It actually flinched when a particularly powerful blast tore its pelvis in half, the particular point of impact being where a normal creature's scrotum would have been.

The constant barrage of flaming torrents kept the Kyūbi in the air even as the parts that were blasted or torn off regenerated almost instantly from the mass that was blown off in the first place. The Red-Eyed Goddess saw this too and so fired a powerful blast that was diffused in a 100 foot radius that simply hurtled the Kyūbi into the stratosphere and almost into the mesosphere. While the Kyūbi almost turned into a shooting star the Red-Eyed Goddess gathered a massive amount of pure energy into both hand, each sphere growing by inches ever second for a full minute once they reached critical mass. The Goddess smirked devilishly and compressed both spheres which were now the size of large elephants each and smashed them together to create an even stronger and denser attack. By this point the sphere of raging golden electric fire was larger than the Kyūbi before she clenched her hands, in response the massive sphere compounded on itself shrinking to a 6 foot sphere. The Goddess slanted her eyes in a glare and 'roared' as psychic energy ripped across the landscape, her energy effetely tripled for a heartbeat and all of it was pumped into the sphere causing to swell to titanic proportions just as the Kyūbi was falling back threw the troposphere. The Goddess glare intense as she raised her arms, the massive sphere of raging energy now bigger than the Kyūbi itself mirrored her movements. The Goddess's glare shifted to one of concentration as the Kyūbi finally reentered the atmosphere, its fur billowing in the winds tearing at it. With one more massive psychic roar the Goddess released the attack in one massive blast.

When the attack was released time seemed to slow down for the citizens of Konoha. There wasn't any noise which puzzled the majority of the inhabitance; instead there was a low moan that seemed to pull that air towards it. They would have been stupefied if they ever realized the cause of this was that the attack had literally atomized everything in its path, including the air itself. The low moan was actually suction from the vacuum created by the blast but since the battle was happening 3000 feet away they only experienced the weaker effect.

The Kyūbi however was under no such illusions, during its life as the Kyūbi since it had been separated from the Juubi it had eaten many a thinkers. Because of this it was able to absorb their knowledge if it wished and quite a few of the cities it destroyed had once been a metropolis of knowledge of sciences of every kind. If that wasn't enough the fact that energy output of that attack dwarfed even its own malicious chakra by at least 13,000 times would definitely help it figure it out. If the energy blast had been aimed at the ground then the planet would have been completely obliterated. The Kyūbi could only watch in awe and morbid fascination as the blast traveled at it at 3 times the speed of sound. The Kyūbi didn't even realize it had been hit before its very essence was literally wiped from existence in a flashed of light and a clap of thunder.

If a word could be used to describe the sheer scale and enormity of the explosion it would have been…epic. The shockwave alone shook all the Nations of the world and completely obliterated the stratosphere for miles around and caused a worldwide earthquake that registered on the rector-scale as a 7.9 which lasted for 3 minutes. Volcanoes all around the world erupted and tsunamis raged around the world while tornados and twisters ravaged the land killing thousands. The place that got hit the worst was Konoha itself, luckily the network of tree roots around Konoha blunted the majority of the quake and since there were no geological hotspots around they did have to worry about Volcanoes. The twisters and tornados were avoided by the strongest Shinobi, not completely exhausted by the Kyūbi attack, creating low pressure currents around Konoha that acted like polarized magnets for tornados. The sheer force of impact was buffered by their thick walls but they cracked and fractured from the kinetic energy alone.

When the Shinobi peeked back over to see if it was over they were able to witness the impossible along with the Red-Eyed Goddess. The Kyūbi had been completely annihilated. All traces of its malicious chakra had been completely obliterated. The clouds in the night sky had been completely cleared away for miles upon miles to show the clear night sky and a full moon. After several moments a random Ninja cheered and like a chain reaction a cheer went up from all the civilians populous while the Shinobi were far more cautious. It was also only the Shinobi who noticed that despite the clear fact that the Kyūbi had been obliterated that the Goddess was still in a battle stance and was facing the moon. Filled with a feeling of dread the Shinobi also looked to the mood, some of the Shinobi nearly pissed themselves at what they saw.

Ever so slowly the moon itself bleed from white to red as the bloody malicious chakra of the Kyūbi began to emerge from plants, ground, water, and even the air itself. The Shinobi could only watch in morbid fascination as the malicious chakra converged into one place. They could only quake in fear as a titanic mass of raw malicious chakra in the shape of a fox with 9 massive tails began to take shape. Before their horrified eyes malicious chakra began to emerge from nature itself, it was that malicious chakra which solidified around the other mass of raw malicious chakra to form a titanic skeleton around the mass of malicious chakra with 9 skeletal tails. The Malicious chakra just kept coming and formed a nervous system, then a muscular structure before finally growing skin to show that it had been fully regenerated. All this had only taken 30 seconds.

The now fully regenerated Kyūbi roared and when illuminated in the light of the bloody moon the Red-Eyed Goddess couldn't help but think that she was facing one of the ancient gods of old. The Kyūbi opened its massive muzzle and formed a Bijudama almost instantly before firing it at the Goddess. The Goddess raised her arms in defense and 7 hexagonal shaped golden shield 300 feet in diameter made of the same golden electrified flame formed in front of her. The Kyūbi's Bijudama slammed into it with a vengeance and after a struggle of wills it fractured and shattered them all like windows of plane glass. The Goddess eyes widen in complete disbelief before she and the rest of the surroundings within a mile were enveloped in a blast similar to the Goddess own but on a much smaller scale. Luckily the fight had taken then a few miles west, it also helped that her shields had taken the brunt of the attack. So the village of Konoha only got hit by the back end of the severally weakened blast, even so their walls barely held even with Ninjutsu specialists reinforcing them.

Back at the epicenter of the explosion the dust from the devastating attack was still settling. The Kyūbi actually smirked at its apparent victory but that smirk was quickly wiped from its face from a spike of raw power. The dust was harshly blown away by a literal maelstrom of electrified golden energy that was beginning to bleed blue. At the center of it all was the mass of energy from the Red-Eyed Goddess. The Kyūbi's smirk returned when it was shown that her body had been completely destroyed. However, once again, the Kyūbi's smirk was wiped from its face when the golden electrified energy condensed at one point. In 3 seconds flat the energy morphed into a silhouette of the Red-Eyed Goddess before it solidified to show the Goddess completely unhurt. It was at that point that both godly beings realized couldn't kill the other. The Kyūbi barked out a harsh laugh and lunged at her from the sky and thus the battle started all over again.

The battle went on for literally days, both godly beings realized that they couldn't kill the other, one was a personification of nature disaster and the other was a Goddess fallen from the grace of Heaven. During this battle the very geology of the land was changed as the 2 deities fought to try and subdue the other. The Kyūbi called fourth Bijudama again and again while calling forth the power of its tails to rain down elemental devastation. The Goddess retailed with massive golden electrified torrents of flame, giant beams of plasma, and massive destruction spheres much weaker then the first one. It had apparently turned into a battle of attrition; infinite power verses absolute strength. It was truly a battle of the gods and neither one was getting anywhere.

After the 3th day Konoha still stood but only due to the actions of the Yellow Flash warping the occasional dodged attack aimed for Konoha and his elite ninja to make sure the wall stood. The 4th didn't dare try and interfere in the monstrous fight while Kushina, who had been healed by his best healers a day ago, thought she was prepared enough to try and hold the Kyūbi down so the Red-Eyed Goddess could gain the upper hand. However the problem was that none of them could get close enough to massive battle without being killed instantly. So they had no choice but to wait out the battle and hope that the brawl didn't come to their village. So far the Kyūbi had destroyed the Goddess body only 3 times while the Goddess herself had destroyed the Kyūbi's body 30 times already.

The fight finally began to come to a close on the 4rd night however when the Red-Eyed Goddess used an attack eerily similar to the Yondaime Hokage's Rasengan to blast the Kyūbi away. The only difference between the attacks was that unlike the Yondaime's Rasengan the Rasengan the Red-Eyed Goddess used was the size of the Kyūbi itself and blasted it back several kilometers where it landed only 100 feet from Konoha's walls.

Minato, Kushina, and the rest of the village Hidden in the Leaves could only watch with growing dread as the fight came closer. There was an especially close call when the Kyūbi tried to launch a hastily formed Bijudama to buy itself some space. That notion was quickly denied when the Goddess actually smacked it away with seemingly no effort strait at the Village. Apparently the Red-Eyed Goddess didn't care for the Village itself more than the land it was on. Luckily the Yondaime managed to redirect the attack with a modified version of his signature Hiraishin Jutsu.

The fight continued to escalate as the 2 battling deities struggled for supremacy...or at least the Kyūbi was struggling. Over the course of the 4 days the Kyūbi had seemingly been getting weaker and the Goddess was more than happy to exploit that weakness. This forced the Kyūbi to use all 9 of its Tails power in conjunction with its Bijudama in bringing down mass environmental devastation. Even with the Kyūbi's weakened state and the Goddess powerful shields she couldn't withstand a barrage of that magnitude when it was completely focused on her. The Goddess wasn't in the mood to lose her physical body again since like the Kyūbi she would be slightly weakened every time it happened. However she also didn't want to continue on with this battle when she knew it would literally take nearly 100 years to actually beat the Kyūbi down enough for it stay down for a few centuries. Unfortunately that would also devastate the planet and quite possibly destroy the continent as well as her chances of correcting her sin. There was only one avenue that would allow her to defeat the Kyūbi in a single decisive attack while preserving her chancing for correcting the mistake that got her banished from heaven.

The Goddess actually growled as she figured out what she would have to do. However if she did it right then there was the smallest of chances that she could counteract her sin before it happened. Having deciding what she would do she looked upon the Kyūbi and clapped her hands as if in prayer. All people of the Elemental Nations and Bijuu heard her psychic cry as she intoned the first jutsu anyone had ever seen her use. "**Kami****ton no Makigai Amutsu Yoroi!** (God Release, Celestial Spiraling Armor)"

A sphere of chakra like the Rasengan erupted around her with the intensity befitting of a God while her strange hexagonal shields appeared above and below her. The ground around her that wasn't pockmarked by craters was blasted away in a spiraling maelstrom of energy. If sensor types could have actually sensed her energy they would have realized the sphere of energy was composed entirely of trillions of stings. Each one only a micron thick but each packed with enough power to equal an A-Rank combat ninjutsu. The 2 shields on the top and bottom of the sphere protected the only weak points on the sphere where the sphere was thinnest. Other than that it was completely invulnerable.

This sphere tore through boulders the size of mountains, ripped through the air currents of twisters, and slashed through tsunamis. Even the feared Bijudama was torn apart with this defense. However the Kyūbi quickly figured that its best bet were the spots with shields and concentrated its attacks there. Only for it to discover that even a direct hit with a Bijudama hardly phased the shields, mostly because they were composed of thousands of different shields compressed into one. At this point it had been almost 5 days since the battle of the god's had started and the Kyūbi beginning to lose ground quickly.

Finally, after a few close calls for the Village, the Red-Eyed Goddess finally maneuvered the Kyūbi into the position that she wanted and decided to end it. For the second time since the battle begun, the Goddess began to use hand-seals. However, they were completely foreign to all the Ninja who were keeping watch and for the ones who could see that far they realized that she was moving her entire body in a seemingly intricate dance. When the incantation was complete the Byakugan wielders who could actually see that far and were paying attention estimated over 500 handseals and countless other body movements were used in a 30 seconds window. Before they even had time to wonder what jutsu she was going to use, chains of light erupted from her forearms, abdomen, palms, shoulders, and each back bone segment. Each chain had a wicked serrated and pronged spear tip at the tip and a single blue jewel inlaid in the flat of the blade at the center of the spear tip. Each and every chain shot at the Kyūbi at speeds that tore apart the ground and shattered the sound barrier twice over. The Kyūbi couldn't even flinch before the chains stabbed into a corresponding point on the Goddesses body before winding around its legs, torso, and tails. The chains of light once fully banded around the Kyūbi securely began to pull it closer to the Goddess.

The Kyūbi seemed to recognize the jutsu for the moment they had him in their embrace it began to struggle with renewed vigor to get away with all its strength. The Kyūbi even went as far as using a Bijudama at point blank range on the chains only to watch in horror as the chains purified and absorbed the malicious chakra! To those watching they could see the Kyūbi was losing mass the closer it was getting to the Goddess. Only 2 people there realized what was happening. The Red-Eyed Goddess was absorbing the Kyūbi!

By this time the Goddess was only 1000 feet from the Village walls. As this was proceeding the Goddess was looking at the village in general with seething hate. She smirked evilly when many ninja including Minato and Kushina paled in horror when they realized that they were going to be next.

The moment Kyūbi got within a hundred feet of the grinning deity it tried to slash at her with its massive claws only to watch on horror as a chain of light erupted from her chest and wrapped around its massive paw. Using its own momentum she pulled it forward, knocking it off balance and sending it stumbling towards her before she unleashed another massive Rasengan at point black range.

The Shinobi watched with dread as the dreaded Kyūbi was hurtled away at a speed faster than even a Shinobi's eye could see. At the same time all the Kyūbi's awesome Malicious chakra was ripped from its body and purified into bright flaming energy before being absorbed into the Goddess who was grinning darkly.

The Kyūbi that had been shot away could only look on in outrage at its spectral self created from its malicious chakra still bound in the chains of light and being absorbed by that confounded Goddess. The physical Kyūbi appeared to have been starved, desiccated, and its fur had been vaporized from the impact of the attack. For the first time in its existence the Kyūbi bleed, it had been made mortal.

The Red-Eyed Goddess summoned another giant Rasengan but this time it looked different than all the others she summoned. Its core looked like a Rasengan but it had 4 massive prongs of what looked like wind elemental chakra. A shrill bell-like chime rang in the air, announcing the attack, and almost deafening most of the Inuzuka Clan. Those with advanced hearing suffered the same fate, while chakra sensors and those with the Byakugan were nearly blinded by the sheer magnitude and power of the attack which apparently was similar enough to chakra to be sensed at this level.

Out of everyone, only a select few witnessed the attack for what it was, a Rasengan with an elemental affinity added to it. Something even the Yondaime had yet been able to achieve. The Goddess hurtled the attack, which freaked out everyone since something that dense wasn't supposed to be able to be thrown. However it defied the laws of chakra physics and traveled like a bullet strait at the Kyūbi as it roared one last time in defiance before the attack hit.

The attack cut the Kyūbi cleanly in half before the attack detonated; everything in a mile radius was instantly shredded at the atomic level. This set off a chain reaction which instantly atomizing whatever might have been left of the Kyūbi and everything else at the same time by the heat and energy produced. The shock wave of chakra slammed into the great walls of the leaf village and nearly shredded them into dust but they held if only barely. Huge gouges were torn out of the thick walls by massive blades of chakra enhanced wind which simply cut strait through the great wall and into the end of the other wall.

Most of the Ninja were smart enough to get off the wall before the attack hit, but the few unlucky ones that didn't were shredded instantly, the light given off by the explosion was so intense that it actually bleached the wall white and atomized the Ninja that were to slow to get out of the way. If a scientist from our dimension witnessed the blast they would have said that it was akin to a hydrogen bomb detonating without radiation present.

When the attack was finished its duration all that was left of the Kyūbi was a 200 mile long scar in the earth itself, a mile deep at the epicenter which was nothing more than a 3 mile wide creator. The Ninja who saw this couldn't comprehend the devastation. It simply wasn't humanly feasible to generate the chakra necessary to do this kind of damage. Heck even the Kyūbi at its worst would be hard-pressed to do anything even remotely close to the sheer environmental devastation they were witnessing.

Suddenly, all eyes turned to the Goddess who was hovering towards the village, a wicked grin on her face as her **Kamiton no Makigai Amutsu Yoroi** swirled around her. When she only 500 feet away and level with the top of the wall she spoke but her mouth didn't move and no sound was made even though they clearly heard the words.

"_Behold Mortals of Ningakure, I am Azura; Daughter of Rain'Jin, the Immortal of Pain, and Last Saga of the Golden Death. I have suffered your insolence since your Shodai tried to control me and the Uchiha called Madara tried to bend me to his will! Who dared to summon Kyūbi into my realm and lay siege to my forest! Speak or this insolent village will suffer the same fate as the Kyūbi!"_

At that everyone froze, having witnessed the epic battle of the 2 Deities, no one besides 2 people knew who had summoned the beast but before they could answer Azura's blood red eyes landed on Kushina and her visage twisted into one of disgust before her voice boomed over the populace. For some reason only Kushina and Minato were able to actually understand it.

"_You, Kushina Uzumaki Kamikaze, smell of malicious chakra and a chakra as vile as Kyūbi's own. You were its container, how did the Kyūbi get loose."_

Kushina and Minato jumped and looked around but saw that no one else heard, Kushina stepped forward and was about to speak but was stopped when Azura's voice interrupted her. "_Do not speak in the tongue of mortals; words have no meaning to me. Remember what occurred, focus on only that moment in time with all your soul and only then will I hear your voice, mortal."_

Kushina nodded and focused as hard as she could on her worst memory to date; she was in a heavily sealed room with Sarutobi's wife and elders to keep the Kyūbi contained while she was giving birth when they were attacked by Madara Uchiha. Her husband, Minato interfered and tried to stop him but he escaped along with her, outside the sealed room. The Kyūbi was allowed to break free as she giving birth while Madara used his Sharingan to control the Kyūbi and have it attack Konoha.

Minato found her and rescued her before Madara could finish her off and fought him off but they both knew that a demon vessel that had its demon removed was as good as dead. However it appeared that Kushina had a special chakra that would allow her to survive the removal process, if only for a short while. A Jinchuuriki's body was dependent its Bijuu's Malicious chakra and Kushina was no exception, her special chakra would allow her to survive even without the Kyūbi for a few years at most before her body simply gave out.

They had known that the only way to save their village and stop the Kyūbi was to seal it in their son. It didn't matter if someone else had been born that night, without the special chakra she herself and her son possessed the child would die when introduced to the Kyūbi chakra. That would also break the seal holding the Kyūbi and release it once more to wreck havoc and in the end solve nothing. Even if that wasn't true Minato could never damn a child to be a sacrifice if he himself was unwilling to sacrifice his own. However before they could begin the sealing Azura had shown up in a rather spectacular fashion and the rest was history.

Azura nodded slowly and closed her eyes and seemed to concentrate on something. When she found whatever it was she was looking for her eyes snapped open and in a flash of lightning and a burst of thunder Madara appeared in front of her. Before he could even comprehend what was going on Azura reached into his orange spiral mask and ripped out his Sharingan eye which gave him his power. His other eye behind the mask was also taken by a by an ethereal hand that mirrored her own movements so that he couldn't use Izanagi to escape.

The both cursed eyes dissolved into a golden dust which flowed into her hand before a chain of light shot out of her arm and pierced his head before his mind could even register the pain. She narrowed her eyes and drew the chain back, ripping out his soul instantly and purifying it before she absorbed it just like she absorbed the Kyūbi, she closed her eyes in seemingly distaste.

When they opened they had the Sharingan. There was one definite difference to this Sharingan though; the 3 tomoe's in the eye as well as the black line that connected them were golden instead of black. She glanced distastefully at his decaying body and turned it to dust with a burst of electrified flame.

The rest of the Ninja populace with a Doujutsu, a Blood Inheritance Limit, cringed and looked on horror. All people who had a Doujutsu had an instinctive fear of having their Doujutsu stolen and here was a being that could literally rip out a person's eye and somehow steal its abilities!

Azura refocused on Kushina and Minato and once again her phantom voice rang throughout the village scaring everyone. "_Madara Uchiha has been eliminated as will any other being that dares to challenge me. His Sharingan has been a worthy sacrifice to spare the rest of your species my ire, although the accursed soul stank of evil. Let this be a lesson Mortals. You do not own this land. I allow your race to live here as long as no one interrupts the harmony of my forest or my land. However you mortals have already shown your insolence thrice, all perpetrators are from this village. While I might be willing to forgive your race, these transgressions this village has shown will have ensured its destruction."_

Azura raise her hand to unleash another massive Rasengan but paused when Kushina raised her hand and desperately focused all her thoughts and will to give form to her astral voice. "_Wait!_"

Surprisingly Azura did wait and looked to Kushina half in annoyance and another half curiosity before motioning her to continue. Kushina focused her thoughts once again before she once again unleashed them with all her might. "_We had nothing to do with Madara's actions. He broke his bonds with this village when he fought against the Shodai Hokage and lost and was presumed dead. Even if he did survive he would have been banished_."

Azura tilted her head slightly in confusion and when her phantom voice spoke again only Minato and Kushina heard it. Both of them were surprised when it sounded uncertain and tinged with curiosity, "_I do not understand. Your thoughts and emotions are beyond my ability to comprehend, but they are also intriguing...Kushina Uzumaki Namikaze...I shall make a deal with you and your husband. Since I will never comprehend such things as mundane as your emotions or way of life, I will allow your races actions to speak for themselves. I will seal myself inside the vessel you were going to use to seal the Kyūbi and since my leaving him will kill him I will also stay until his life expires and he passes on to the afterlife."_

"_His mind and mine will be connected but separate as will his power unless he had need of it. I will take him to a world alternate from yours yet the same, where Madara was successful in his plan and you sealed the Kyūbi into your child. There he will grow with the hatred of your village that will scorn him for what he holds. If at the end of his life I deem your race a race of evil than I will obliterate your species from the face of this world. However if I deem your race worthy of life than I shall allow your race to continue it's exist and even bless your son and all in his line."_

Kushina knew that she had no choice but to accept and looked to Minato who also hesitated. She knew that if given the choice he would have taken her and their son and run if that wouldn't condemn them all. However the fact was that it would. Together they could fight an immortal like Madara because he could be killed, however no matter what they stood no chance against a Goddess. As much as he didn't want to he had no choice but agree. Kushina nodded reluctantly as well.

Azura waved her hand at the swath of destruction and to everyone's surprise the damage seemed to undo itself right before their very eyes. To their joy and exhalation the ones who died in the Kyūbi attack as well as the cross-fire between Azura and the Kyūbi were restored in both body and soul. Even the injuries from child birth and the removal process were healed. Even as this happened she also felt a tranquil energy fill the place where the Kyūbi and its chakra once inhabited, stabling her condition. She would live!

Azura turned towards the child that lay protectively in Minato's arm and drew closer to him. Kushina and Minato could only watch sadly as Naruto was gently taken from them to hover before the Goddess in all her glory. Azura looked into the innocent eyes of the child and saw no evil. She decided then and there that even if the Humans failed her test she would leave the children unscathed since they appeared to be innocent of any wrong-doing.

Filtering that thought away Azura focused on the child and slowly began to transform into pure chakra and hugged the child to her. A 5 part seal dimensions more advanced than anything any Ningen would ever witness inscribed themselves onto the child's abdomen, forehead, both hands and both feet. The blood drawn from the inscriptions crystallized, effectively sealing the wounds even as they healed in the presence of the benevolent Goddess. The seal Minato and Kushina were about to use burnt itself onto the child's navel and as it formed the Goddess slowly transformed into electrified golden flame and began to flow into the seal. However as this happened she glanced at the two parents who had remained standing before, the thoughts their minds were projecting confused her but she inclined her head anyway. Minato and Kushina placed their hands on the seal that they would have placed on him and channeled all the chakra they possessed, besides what was absolutely need to live, into it. They both almost collapsed but held each other up and slowly backed away. The Goddess nodded once more at them before she focused on the task at hand, she became energy in its purest form, and her electrified golden flames bleed to blue but stopped 1/3 of the way. She then pushed her essence into the seal while creating one last seal that connected the Shiki Fuuin to the seal of her own creation. Once the last of her essence entered the child, a sphere similar to Azura's **Kami-Kai; Makigai, Amutsu Yoroi** erupted around him, seemingly suspending in mid air. The sphere of spiraling chakra seemed to bend space and warp time. This caused a tear in the fabric of reality and dimension, creating a black portal which the baby named Naruto fell into, never to be seen again in that realm for all of time.

** AN: This is Ragdain speaking, or writing if you want to be technical about it, anyway this is my first attempt at a Fanfiction of any type. Or to be more precise it is the first one that I have actually decided to post and actually figured out how too. Just to let the ones who bother to read this know, this is going to a mass crossover. However unlike most crossovers who have either highly unlikely or simply downright stupid idea's for crossovers. This one will be one of the more believable ones. I will try to update every week or so, so try and give a good review. If you decide to flame me then at least make sure that it is legible. I most likely won't spend the time trying to understand gibberish. **


	2. The Will of Fire

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything associated or belonging to Naruto, Bleach, Claymore, or any other associated anime or cartoon. This Fanfiction is the property of Ragdain, as well as all original characters and OC's.

**Rise of the Azura God-**

"Normal Talk: I love Ramen."

"Bijū Talk:** Shut up you annoying twit?"**

"Normal Thoughts; _Hey...I'm not a twit!"_

"Bijū Thoughts;** "You didn't even try to deny your annoying...**_**"**_

"Jutsu Incantations; **Kage-Bunshin No Jutsu**"

Chapter One: The Will of Fire

Azura, the goddess of Blades and Blood; drifted through the vague realities and dimensions of time as she slowly but surely pulled herself towards the dimension that she had already sent her vessel to. Azura knew that she would arrive at the dimension a few days after her vessel and Kyūbi who she had sent ahead. The reason for this was that movement in this place between time-streams and realities, she personally named the Labyrinth, was strange to say the least.

The concept of momentum and inertia didn't exist since the laws of physics were a concept only found in reality with a flowing time stream. The only way to get anywhere or move at all in the Labyrinth was by creating a tunnel of reality and time to connect to the reality and dimension of the place you were going. However since Azura wasn't creating dimension she couldn't actually create a tunnel since those needed dimension to exist. So in actuality this method wouldn't work since she wasn't going anywhere. This was why most gods had to transcend to travel to different realities and times therefore avoiding the Labyrinth completely.

However by substituting dimension with her intent and will she was able to theoretically move in an absence of dimension through the Labyrinth. This unique form of travel which only she was capable of protected her from the Demon Gods that would gladly have taken this chance to do all sorts of…unsavory things to her.

For mortals and failed ascendants like her host and the Kyūbi things were vastly different, they couldn't traverse through the Labyrinth at all. On the other hand since they were created in a reality and time-stream where reincarnation was in effect Azura could simply 'import' them to any dimension or time-stream of her choosing in which they were destined to be born or created. Using this method she had chosen a time-stream and reality that would be receptive to her future plans. This had the fortunate or unfortunate effect, depending on your point of view, of merging the two beings together. This allowed the stronger being to absorb the strength, knowledge, and in their case chakra of their other selves. She had purposely a time-stream and reality where the Kyūbi was roughly equal in strength to the one she was sending. So they would tire themselves out by the time she arrived.

Since the seal Azura had used to bond with her vessel was connected and even melded with her vessels soul and body it had also come along. Having foreseen this, Azura had sealed some of her power to keep the seal active until she arrived, though the seal would only actually arrive after an hour her vessel did. It would be needed since the melding of alternate selves also added the body mass of both people making them twice as dense and cause any number of complications. Luckily she had also woven in a directive for the seal to activate a long dormant function that she had once used in life. This caused the seal to generate different forms of radiation at a set of preprogrammed intervals that would cause a set of preplanned mutations.

All the forms of radiations her seal generated were fatal to human life by themselves or through continued exposure even for those with the seal without proper preparation. One of her seals minor function had such a preparation and acted like several hundred-thousand extra sets of Chromosomes and Genophores that could be 'plugged in' for lack of a better word. These extra Chromosomes and Genophores contained evolutionary adaptations that permitted the body to survive and mutation in the ways it was supposed to. They also contained a plethora of other useful adaptations she discovered in the life forms she studied in the universe and the various minerals and elements needed for them to form. The extra body mass gained through the melding would act as the raw biological ingredients so that nothing was wasted.

For a creature as primitive as a human it would be comparable to transforming into completely into a alien creature with the only similarities to a human being superficial. Without her there to modulate the pain it would be an excruciating experience to say the least if he was even capable of conscious thought. Azura found that she was actually slightly envious for her vessel.

However that was of little consequence, because for mortals life was pain. The more pain a mortal endured the more a mortal would come to understand the pain of others and themselves and thus allow them to grow. Some mortals might call that philosophy wrong and that kindness could be used in substitute of pain. However without pain the mortal's mentality would stagnate and eventually lead to violence and in the end, pain. So in reality it really didn't matter which path a mortal chose, there would always be pain and so there would always be growth.

That was the reason why the other gods allowed her to do what she wished even though she was banished from the Golden Halls. The Bright Kami herself had given her a chance to redeem herself for the seemingly unforgivable sin that she would commit in this world, by banishing her to this dimension until the time of her sin was at hand; precisely because no matter what she did there would always be pain. At least this way she could have a chance to spare the primitive creatures the wrongful wrath of a god and save face with the other gods.

Yet no matter how hard she looked through the alternate time-streams and realities concerning the Shinobi Nations she couldn't find what her sin was, so she couldn't stop it. The only thing she even knew about it was that her sin would occur because of the one she would eventually choose as a vessel for her power; something that every god had to do in order to establish their religion in the world of their choice. The other gods wouldn't tell her the nature of her sin either since she didn't want to hear it from them. It was her first true Trial to pass or fail and she would never forgive herself for seeking help so easily.

Failure to prevent herself from committing her sin, despite being given the chance to do so, meant eternal banishment from the Bright Halls in the lowly metaphysical body she inhabited. Only it would be as undying as the void itself, doomed to suffer until the last consequences of her sin were eventually healed and forgotten.

Still her trial would have been pointless if she could simply erase any who stood in her path from existence with but a thought, and at her request the Bright Kami shackled her existence into a lowly metaphysical form with the Chains of Light. Crafted by the Bright Kami herself from the very walls of the Bright Hall, they were used to restrain gods who requested it to bind them in into the metaphysical form.

That alone would have been would have been considered a bit much even by some of the more experienced gods. However, craving a true challenge, Azura had asked Yomi to bind her with Dark Script. Yomi, with the reluctant acceptance of the Bright Kami had gleefully agreed since normally the Dark Script was only used on request by the Bright Kami to punish Light Gods. The Dark Script were a series of powerful ruins etched on her very bones that extremely limited and bound her power in all her various forms. That limitation could be lessened greatly by sharing the Dark Script with another in return for gifting the entity with some of her power. (4) Thus Azura was at the absolute weakest she could become while still being considered a godly being. She had only shared the Dark Script once with Six Path Sage to defeat the Jūbi since if left unrestrained it would destroy the world, ruining her chance for redemption.

It was a mistake she regretted ever since. The Sage took advantage of her weakened state to rebel against her and stole the power of her eyes and a portion of her godly vitality. To this day and age it was an insult unrivaled by any she received since or before. (5) Still, she as a godly being couldn't fault mortals for being what they were. She should have not have looked past the fact that the Sage was a mortal, a mortal of a dark world no less.

Even if she secretly wished to taste her power once more and had only shared the Dark Script with him since she was too weak to take the Jūbi as she was, she had truly come to love him. Unlike the love mortals harbored for each other; the love of a god was a great and terrible force that would burn with the same intensity long after the fires of the last sun faded and the universe itself came to an end.

The pain of such a betrayal and the sure knowledge that she still loved him on such a level had turned that love into a dark emotion. Beyond emotions as simple as hate or any dark emotion a human mind could comprehend. It reminded her of the differences between mortals and gods, while a human could at worst die of heart-break, a god could fall into Yomi's hold. Yomi was the God of Darkness and represented everything the Bright Kami stood against. The gods who fell under Yomi's hold became creatures of desolation and wretchedness whose mere presence drained the vitality and will of others. There sole purpose was to break the chain of pain and growth leaving only misery and death. They were literal demons in every sense and dimension of the word that truly counted.

The only good thing to happen throughout the entire ordeal was that the Sage's betrayal allowed her to experience a rare pain far more potent than any wound or injury she ever bore. However even that was ruined since it was the one pain she truly regretted experiencing. It was a harsh lesson; made all the more bitter since the Bright Kami had warned her to protect her heart against the impure love of mortal beings before banishing her. The pain helped her grow farther and become more than what she.

Since a god couldn't kill a mortal because they were foolish enough to fall for them Azura cursed all in his line who dared to bare her eyes with the curse of hatred. Those born with her vitality would were cursed to be the receivers of that same hatred. The only way to break either curse was to overcome it with the strength of their body and mind. This assured that only those with the capacity to grow strong would survive and continue the curse until the Sages line ended.

Azura's focus was drawn to her work as she 'approached' the dimension her new vessel she noticed that two dimensions were being drawn dangerously close to each other. It was such a rare occurrence to view up close even for the gods, that she paused to watch. She knew that either the dimensions would combine and create a new reality or they would prove to be too different and annihilate each other; which would unleash a form of energy that she personally found irresistible. The energy released was a metaphysical particle that the inhabitance of both dimensions had come to call Reiryoku. Reiryoku particles carried emotions better than any other, especially the echoes of grief, melancholy, the darkest despair, along with the bittersweet experience of failed mortal love. She was considered a fledgling god after all and the sorts of acute spiritual anguish could help her grow by inflicting it on herself. (6)

Still as she watched the dimensions getting closer together she sensed a buildup of Reiatsu whose aura was tangible to even her. Then before her very eyes all the energy was unleashed upon the other dimension and obliterated it as well as all the Reiatsu that it held. She absently noticed a few insignificant sources of Reiatsu crossing over to the other dimension before it imploded on itself, taking all the precious Reiatsu with it.

Her own blazing red eyes widened in disbelief and outrage. The power to destroy dimensions belonged to the tier of gods alone; mortals were far too irresponsible with that sort of power. Her eyes narrowed even as time itself began to warp and rend around her from the force of her rage. This insolence couldn't go unpunished, even a banished goddess such as herself could temporarily remove her own shackles to correct such a server breach. It was forbidden to do so actually and could land her in as much trouble as her original sin which she had yet to commit. She briefly entertained the likely-hood that this was the sin that would truly banish her from the Bright Halls, and then promptly dismissed it. Unlike mortals gods were deliberately blunt about these things. The only times they weren't when they were playing games with the mortals. The Bright Kami herself wouldn't give her the chance to absolve her sin and risk true banishment if it was impossible. If that had been the case then the Bright Kami would have simply merited her original punishment of 1000 years banished to the mortal plane in an undying body.

On one hand if this was not her original sin then it could be considered a separate offense and be dealt with later after she solved this one. On the third hand if this was the original sin the Bright Kami had sent her back to stop then it would end in a paradox. If she did nothing it would be as bad as not allowing herself to correct it, while correcting it required her to remove her chains which would be just as bad.

At the same time the Bright Kami's plan to stop her sin from manifesting also complicated matters. Her original sin was being the cause a rise of an entity that even the Bright Kami couldn't destroy. The only clue she had to go on was this entity was tied closely to her future vessel. It was also the main condition of her sin being amended, to choose a vessel that couldn't be swayed by the dark entity so therefore it wouldn't manifest.

Ultimately Azura dismissed the line of thought as highly improbable and to trust in the faith of the Bright Kami. A dangerously mortal mentality that belongs to only young gods or so the older gods said, since blind faith lad to fanatics that contemplated dangerous ideas for the older gods. While Azura was in actually a few hundred thousand years old she was still considered to be practically a newborn. A god's concept of a year encompassed the lifetime of a small sun and its two incarnations after all. However while flattered the elder gods thought her so experienced, Azura was hardly the only god fanatical to the Bright Kami and so had chosen to discount to elder gods advice as true but currently useless. Especially due to the fact that she was still very young in the eyes of a god; and was already a fanatic of the Bright Kami, and proud of it.

With her mind made up she turned her senses inward to the Chains of Light and the Dark Script which bound her godly might. In truth nothing could actually bind a god unless they wished it or didn't stop it. Even a new born god only a day old had the power to battle any other god including the Bright Kami or Yomi to a standstill, because all gods were infinitely powerful.

The reason the Bright Kami and Yomi ruled the other gods was because they were the only true Divine, beings born as gods from near mythical God Kings. Beings that existed on a high plan than even gods and vastly more powerful. It was only by fear of retribution from the God Kings that the Bright Kami and Yomi ruled.

Thus the only thing Azura had to break the Chains of Light and erase the Dark Script was flex her invincible her metaphysical form. Since neither the Chains of Light nor the Dark Script was invincible they both shattered as easily a brittle plane of glass trying to resist the force of a cannon ball.

In an instant Azura became omniscient and omnipotent, all things in existence were laid bare before her sight and all things in creation were subjugated by her power. Her very existence became a concept of an idea, an omnipresent force that none could deny. In this form Azura as a physical being ceased to exist and she became an effect of existence, a law of physics whose presence extended throughout all of time and space. It was the absolute pentacle of her existence in this realms reality of truth. It was also the absolute weakest existence of her transcend existence.

Still in this state no being on this level of existence could challenge her power except another god. So it was with the most supreme confidence that she focused her attention on the point in time when the beam of Reiatsu was fired.

To her mind eye the past, present, and future of the dimension where the blast came from was revealed. All the secrets it held and all the turbulent and peaceful times were laid bare before her omniscient sight. What she saw was truly intriguing; an entire race of spiritual beings that existed on a higher level of being than their own mortals and who ruled a plan of existence known as Seireitei. A Feudal Monarchy/Oligarchy society that was ruled by an entity known as the Spirit King; these beings were actually arrogant enough to call themselves gods of death even though they existed on the same plane of existence. They were definitely not the personifications of the existence known as death, nor were they omnipotent or omniscient beings. The only thing that came even remotely close to the tier of godly power was singular objects in the possession of their Royal Line.

It was an insult to her and the gods of the Bright Halls that these Shinigami dared to proclaim themselves as such. Other than that that there really wasn't anything she could do about the Shinigami's use of the 'Kidō Cannon' since they were not mortals. If anything these people were similar to the lesser Ascendants that came into existence nearly 10,000 mortal years ago. Because of this the Shinigami fell into the grey area that both the Bright Kami and Yomi chose to either ignore, watch in interest, or plot to destroy. Azura couldn't know which even in full Ascension to her lowest godly form.

Azura eventually decided that she would leave the matter to the Bright Kami and Yomi to decide. It was not her place to question her rule. When her vessel was powerful enough she decided that they would come to this realm and show these arrogant, ignorant beings what a true god was. With any luck she would gain more prestige and a good following going, not to mention she would be the first god there since she did see any true gods in that dimension's history.

Azura allowed her omniscient and omnipotent form relax and felt the Chains of Light and the Dark Script reforming with a vengeance, confining her into a lowly metaphysical existence. She could easily have resisted it and even broken her link to the Bright Halls entirely and existed as she wished with impunity since she asked for them. That would cause her to lose face with the other gods who would refuse to interact with her and thus the horrible boredom would set in. She would choose to be sealed in her pathetic metaphysical form every time to spare herself that horrible fate.

Still Azura sensed that something was very wrong. When she had first been bound by the Chains of Light and the Dark Script, her omniscient and omnipotent form redefined into a mortal existence; there had only been a mild discomfort and a little confusion. Of course there was a penalty for breaking the Chains of Light and the Dark Script which including pain when they reformed. It did after all take a little bit of time to adapt from seeing the history of all things in existence in her sight to being confined to a relatively narrow perception of time and space.

The pain of the binding this time was so acute and intense that both her physical and spiritual being withered in agony as one. It was the greatest form of agony she had ever experienced in her existence as a godly being. The pain of essentially having her entire existence constricted once more and redefined into bone, blood, nerves and flesh in the span of single second was magnificently excruciating. The chocked scream that was torn from her throat held such agony, pain, and perverse ecstasy that it actually created a dimension that held nothing but those turbulent emotions. In the midst's of her tormented and pleasured writhing she recognized that something was extremely wrong but her focus was shot to high hell and her mind muddled by dazzling pain and pleasure. An older god would have been able to easily resist such mundane things but she was still very young and gods matured very slowly.

The Chains of Light burst through the veil of existence and were the source of the sense of wrongness she felt. Unlike the chains she was bound with that were sealed into what equated to **Tenketsu** (Chakra Points) these chains had cruelly barbed spear points on the sides connected to her. Another difference and the source of their wrongness were the horrific black lights the chains and spear points radiated. Before Azura could even attempt to gather her wits, the black chains stabbed their cruelly bladed tips into the correlating Tenketsu points. Even as the repulsive blades seared their way into her physical and spiritual being to ensure that she couldn't removing her chains again without destroying herself. Something that could only be accomplished with both the Bright Kami and Yomi working in tandem since two invincible forces could beat a single one.

Even for Azura who essentially lived for pain it was simply too much, it was far worse than all her previous pain combined. Existence itself distorted from the levels of physical and emotional anguish as Azura's very mind cracked and nearly shattered under the onslaught of torment. Her very soul fractured from the stress while her physical body kept dying from pain the moment when it was resurrected even as her tolerance for pain increased allowing a higher threshold of before death tried to claim her again. Azura could do little more than curl herself into a ball in the most primal of instinct to present a smaller target whimper even as the pain increased to levels that she should have broken her.

It was a punishment the Bright Kami and Yomi only visited upon those gods who truly went against her will by invoking the wrath of the God King who sired them. The chains used to bind her were known as the Chains of Black Light, the manifestations of the God Kings will and truly omnipotent power. The Chains of Black Light were only invoked to completely shatter the connection to all the gods of the Bright Halls and the Bright Halls themselves, the scared palace which allowed gods to assume an omnipotent and omniscient form. If that wasn't enough white script flared into existence where the Black Script once was. The White Script had the same basic effect as the Black Script except that unlike the Black Script it was permanent and backed by the unstoppable force of the God King.

That was the source of the worst pain she would ever experience, the betrayal of the most deepest and intimate of bonds, stronger than any relationship and deeper than even the love of a God. She realized for the first time the true pain of a godly being, the ultimate obliterator of thought and emotion; the betrayal of one's own god. For the only thing that could invoke the wrath of the God King were the pleas of both the Bright Kami and Yomi. Azura had been forsaken.

No matter how much Azura wished it a god could never be delivered from suffering on the white horse of death. Gods existed on the plan of immorality and so would never again know death for they already existed beyond it. Even the purest manifestation of death would not be able to reach the level of existence gods resided in anymore than a wolf trying to touch the sun. Even if a god desired deaths touch, death itself would burn in the brilliance of their existence, so high was the plan of a god's power.

Azura's now mortal if metaphysical body may not have been that of a god any longer but her body was just as undying, for the horrible wrath of the God King was never so merciful. She was still susceptible to injury and even death for a few scant moments before she would be revived by the will of the God King, for she had been cursed to an undying existence.

For four years in the eyes of a god, Azura would drift through the vast void in between dimensions. Her only comfort the eternal void and the ever present pain. Her last thought being the assured knowledge that no matter how much time past her mind would never break and deliver her to oblivion. That no matter how much her spirit endured it would never shatter and deliver her to deaths cold embrace. Her mind was still that of a god and as such would never break no matter how much abuse it received for there was no intellect greater than that of a god.

XXXxxx…Alternate Dimension…xxxXXX

The newly reinstated Sandaime Hokage sat at the Hokage desk with Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane standing in front of him. They were both part of his old Genin team as well as his advisors and council. They both were nearly glaring at him with determination etched on their faces. It had been a week since the Kyūbi attacked and this was the first chance they had to hold a council to decide what should be done with Naruto.

The Sandaime frowned but spoke with a deep timbre, both wizened and benevolent. "I understand that if we are to begin training and conditioning Naruto then it has to be now. However according to the decree of the Fourth Hokage he is to be seen as hero and to have a normal life. For this reason we cannot train him as a weapon, or even a gifted Shinobi unless he shows latent potential that does not stem from the Kyūbi. Besides I personally have seen what could go wrong when a Jinchūriki rejects the training. They come to loath humanity or worse yet are unable to contain the Bijū they contain any longer. Neither should even be considered as an acceptable risk when dealing with the Kyūbi, the most powerful of all the Bijū. Especially in Naruto's case since only an Uzumaki become a Jinchūriki for the Kyūbi and even then that Uzumaki must have an especially strong chakra. "

Both Koharu and Homura frowned as they recalled Iwa's Jinchūriki Han. He had been a recurring terror during the 3rd Shinobi world war, not only to his enemies but also to his own comrades.

Seeing his point made the Sandaime continued. "Also despite the fact that the Fourth Hokage sealed the Kyūbi's Yin chakra within the Shinigami, the Kyūbi has somehow regained its Yin chakra and its Yang chakra has doubled. The Fourth's seal is thankfully somehow still holding and remains unbroken. However because of this complication killing Naruto is out of the question. While normally killing a Jinchūriki will also kill the Bijū if it isn't set free, the Kyūbi even before it attacked was capable of surviving its Jinchūriki's death. It would have taken a while for the Kyūbi to reform but it still would have. As it is now we have no guarantee that the Kyūbi will even have to wait to be reformed which is why I decided killing Naruto is not an option."

Both elder ninja paled drastically at the thought but were able to regain their composure almost instantly. Koharu was the one to speak this time. "If that is the case then why do we not seal the Jinchūriki in the deep caves under Konoha?"

The Sandaime shook his head again in a negative. "You are forgetting the Fourth's decree, Naruto is to be seen as a hero and have a normal life. By default this also forbids us from sealing him away."

Homura shook his head and said with a weary voice. "The Fourth's decree has already been broken by the civilian's of Konoha when they learned of the Kyūbi Jinchūriki. They will not treat him as a hero because they either fear him or hate him for what he contains. Doing nothing about the situation is tantamount to violating the Fourth's decree and also risk Konoha integrity and security."

The Sandaime nodded in acknowledgment. "Then let us go over the facts and issues we have to consider as well as the parameters of the Fourth's decree. First and foremost the Fourth Hokage decreed that Uzumaki Naruto would be treated as a hero and allowed to live a normal life. So far the only thing that has complicated the situation is the Kyūbi unnatural growth inside the seal which is still stable, and the civilian's disregard of the Fourth's dying wish."

Homura and Koharu both nodded in acceptance and motioned for him to continue. "Now while I agree that extra security measures must be taken in regard to the Kyūbi I have already set a decree in regard to the civilians. My decree was that no one of the new generation will be told of the true fate of the Kyūbi or its Jinchūriki which in itself is an S-rank secret. Any adult that harms him will be sentenced to death without trial. This will ensure that the younger generation will not be biased against him for the Bijū he holds inside him. As for what should happen if the seal fails…Minato left the secrets of the **Shiki Fūin** within the Forbidden scroll of sealing. However the sealing style of the Uzumaki clan in Konoha died with Kushina and Minato. If the worst should happen then I will sacrifice my life to seal the Kyūbi into the stomach of the Shinigami for eternity. There will never again be a Kyūbi Jinchūriki after Naruto if he doesn't propagate."

Both elders nodded gravely, although the Sandaime knew that they didn't like that option anymore than he did. With a glance at both elders the ancient Kage raised an inquiring eyebrow, asking without words if that was all. Homura raised his glasses slightly to bring the Sandaime's attention to him before he asked in a neutral tone. "Did you or the current Ambu **Teichou** (Captain) discover who it was that orchestrated this assault or who was responsible for releasing the Kyūbi and killing Kushina's guard?"

The Sandaime knew Homura realized that his wife was one of the ones killed but didn't call him on it. It was a fair question after all that deserved an answer and he was too weary for such an argument anyway. "No new information was uncovered in regards to perpetrator or how they got past the security wards."

Koharu who was more sensitive to the questioning then Homura glared at her long time friend for that particular question but decided the best thing to do would be to distract her friend from his weary thoughts. "Has Danzō found out anything?"

The Sandaime's pained grimace at his wife's murder instantly turned into a tight frown and his eyes turned steely. What he said next shocked the two elders and their faith in the proclaimed 'war hawk'. "I have reason to believe that it was Danzō himself who tipped off the assassin and may have been who helped orchestrated the entire thing but since I have no proof I cannot do anything…officially. Sadly his standing with the shinobi populous and the citizen populous would make his…disappearance…troublesome."

This time Homura was smart enough to keep his trap shut but Koharu visibly flinched. If the Sandaime ever found out that Danzō had anything to do with the murder of his wife then Danzō, the poor misguided fool, would live to regret it for the remainder of his natural life…and possibly beyond if the Sandaime was vindictive enough to use the Kinjutsu created by the Second Hokage.

With the near glare still in his eye he dismissed his councilors who almost tripped over each other in their haste to leave his presence before he sat back into his comfy chair and sighed. His trusty old chair would give him little comfort this night or the many nights to follow. The only thing that actually brought peace to his weary soul was the knowledge that soon he would be able to follow his wife into the afterlife soon.

XXXxxx…Konoha Hospital…xxxXXX

In the Konoha Leaf Hospital the Chief Medical Officer at the time, Yakushi Fumiō frowned as he locked over the results of his newest patient in the comfort of his office. He raised an eyebrow when he saw who the child was. One Uzumaki Naruto, if he wasn't mistaken this would be the child of Uzumaki Kushina. She was the only other Uzumaki in the entire village after all and if he looked close he could see the child inherited her face and eyes.

The blood work told him that the Naruto was the child of the Yondaime and Kushina which he had already figured out when he first saw the boy. Still the chart said that his parentage was S-Rank confidential information and so he marked off both parents names and made a note to have the kids parentage suppressed.

His experienced eyes drifted over the child's condition with relative boredom until he caught sight of Naruto's physical health. His eyes nearly popped out of his head at what he saw and what it could mean. He all but flew out the room snapping orders to any free medic he caught sight of to follow him and quickly came up to Naruto's room. Since there was a complication with the Kyūbi nearly an hour ago the child's room was heavily sealed with wards that suppressed the Kyūbi's chakra.

The moment he entered the room his hands lit up with green medical chakra and without much thought performed two jutsu consecutively with practiced ease in under a second. The first jutsu was a D-Rank medical jutsu that used the concept of the tree walking exercise in reverse. Instead of making things adhere the jutsu removed bacteria, dirt, blood, and other contaminants from the user's hands, lower arms, and face. This technique could also be used to clean the wounds of others in order to prevent infection from bacteria but it in itself is a more advanced skill boarding B-Rank. The jutsu was known as the **Kurenza no Jutsu** and was one of the most basic and versatile of medical jutsu. The second jutsu was known as the **Chiken jutsu**, a C-Rank medical jutsu. With this jutsu a medic-nin used their hands to carefully probe a patient for signs of injury that may not be visible to the naked eye. It allowed a skilled medic to detect things such as internal injuries, bleedings, improper heart rate, non-apparent bone fractures, poisoning, cancer, and viral/bacterial diseases.

He noticed from the corner of his eye that his other assistants had to do both jutsu one at a time and even use handseals, taking precious time between jutsu. It appeared that he had somehow got all the new interns. He resolved to assign them a training regiment to speed up their execution; the time they took for the jutsu could prove fatal after all.

With that last though Yakushi Fumiō quickly but thoroughly ran his glowing hands over the infant, looking for even the slightest discrepancies where the infants profile indicated. To his shock he found what he was looking for almost the moment his hands touched the kid's body. Besides that he also detected a nearly twice the amount of the Kyūbi's chakra in the infants system then what specified by the information the Sandaime left with him.

He recalled that there was a note from Jiraiya saying that if there was a higher concentration of the Kyūbi's chakra then it most likely to compensate for the Kyūbi's increase in power as it slowly regained its Yin chakra. He double and tripled checked just to be sure of his findings and to make sure that he didn't miss anything.

Knowing that he had to get a report to the Sandaime as fast as he could he grabbed a scroll and a Fūinjutsu brush from a desk nearby, completely ignoring the incompetent medics behind him. He quickly summed up the situation as well as his speculations of what it could mean. When he was finished he dashed sand over the parchment to help it dry faster with a little help from fire natured chakra. The instant he was finished closed the scroll and tied it with a red string to signify that it was important.

The instant he finished he flocculated and flared his chakra in a certain pattern that the Ambu guards for Naruto had him memorize. Almost instantly three Ambu fazed into existence in front of him; scaring the apparently perceptively challenged medic-nin behind him. Without batting an eyelash at the sudden entry he thrust the scroll to the nearest Ambu.

With a voice with the presence of a master medic-nin he spoke with a commanding presence. "Get this to the Sandaime as fast as you can and give the order to evacuate this entire wing!"

The Ambu didn't hesitate for an instant and grabbed the scroll before using the **Shunshin** (Body Flicker Technique) to blur out of existence, racing with all due haste to the Hokage's office. The other two Ambu had already begun ushering the intern medic-nin in the room out and began giving the order to evacuate the wing.

XXXxxx…The Sandaime's Office…xxxXXX

The Sandaime was just cooling down from the meeting with his councilors when an Ambu with a scroll tied with a red string appeared before him in a bowing crouch, a scroll held out to him. The Sandaime's eye twitched at the theatrics but he took the scroll anyway noting it was an emergency from the Hospital by the red string which tied as he tore it away.

A single glance at its contents had him halfway to the hospital before the Ambu in front of him had even realized that the ancient Kage had moved. In his haste and shock the Sandaime had dropped the scroll, something that he normally would have never done.

The AMBU quickly realized this and went to gather the scroll but since it was open he couldn't help but see what was written in it. He was also curious as to what could make the revered Sandaime make such a basic mistake. That single brief glance at the scroll strewn on the floor showed four simple words that chilled him to the core.

"**The Fox is rising.**"

XXXxxx…Konoha Hospital…xxxXXX

The Sandaime got to hospital in 30 seconds flat, unintentionally setting a new record for the fastest **Shunshin** in Konoha. Without even bothering with the door the Sandaime speed through the window which had been opened in preparation for his arrival and literally materialized in a swirl of leaves to any watching.

Before the Sandaime could even ask for a report Yakushi instantly began summarizing what he had discovered that had taken his attention. "Three minutes ago I discovered several anomalies with Jinchūriki Uzumaki Naruto. These anomies have taken the form of random outbreaks of highly aggressive cancer. It appears to be feeding on the Kyūbi's chakra to grow extremely quickly but the Kyūbi's chakra also seems to be fighting it. The Kyūbi's chakra has increased in output by nearly twice again and has drastically slowed the cancer down. However I would say that the Jinchūriki has a month before he dies and the seal breaks."

The Sandaime face was carefully blank of any emotion but his mind was a whirlwind of speculations and ideas of how to rectify the situation. He reasoned that the cancer could be caused by a form of radiant energy residue from the Shinigami's touch. The problem with that theory was that the Shinigami's touch wasn't fatal if it wasn't trying to kill and it was bound by a contract. If it wasn't the case death would have been instant.

The Sandaime knew from experience that the Kyūbi only had one form of energy, which was chakra, since it was essentially a giant chakra beast. The only thing he could think of that changed in the equation was the Kyūbi's monstrous chakra essentially doubling. From this point there were only two choices that could be made and both broke his tired old heart even contemplating.

With dread filling him he asked with weary voice. "How long can the Jinchūriki be kept alive with medical supervision?"

Even though it pained the Sandaime to do he had to keep himself emotionally distant from the child to stop his emotions from influencing his choices. One life no matter how important came before the village, for him to value Naruto more than the village would be an insult to the sacrifice both Kushina and Minato made to save it.

Yoshiro shook his head and said with barely laced regret, "Medical ninjutsu works by encouraging and accelerating cell regeneration and division so that would be no help at all. We could probably keep him alive for two to three months at most if we had a team constantly cutting out the cancer. The most anyone would be able to do, including Tsunade beyond that is will only buy him a day or more."

The Sandaime nodded tiredly before asking with a resigned air, "What about the healing factor of the Kyūbi? Could we loosen the seal to allow more out?"

Yoshiro again shook his head, "Although the Kyūbi's chakra seems to be fighting the cancer it is also the cause of the cancer and the seal is stopping anymore chakra from being released. Also even if the Kyūbi channeled more of its chakra it would likely kill Naruto and unleash it, which was probably its plan."

The Sandaime sighed with regret before his eyes hardened with a burning resolve. As much as he wished he could follow the dying wish of the Fourth Hokage he was a realist and in their world of shadows and death he was known as God! That title was not earned through benevolence idealism alone.

In the world of Shinobi it was almost always not the strongest to leave the field of battle but the one with the most intelligence, the best strategy, and the most well informed and prepared. If young Naruto was going to die then it would not be in vain, he would make sure the child's death had meaning and that he would be remembered as a hero for generations!

Before the Sandaime could act on his dark thoughts something happened that froze him and Yoshiro in their tracts…a miracle.

Exactly one hour after the cancer developed sleeping child's body began to slowly glow an ethereal luminescent blue. Glowing script, geometric designs, and alien symbols began to etch the base of a diagram spreading from the Yondaime's seal.

The two shinobi could only watch mystified and in awe as the diagram spread over the child's entire body before centering on the child's forehead, hands, and feet. The intricate detail in the geometric design, script, and symbols gave the child an organic look. Most of the script and symbols were distinctly different from any form of writing or symbolism in the Elemental Nations and unlike anything the Sandaime had personally ever seen.

The diagram was definitely some combination of Fūinjutsu in at least three distinct languages with totally alien characterization and format. When the highly detailed array was complete it flashed a brilliant golden yellow once before the **Shiki Fūin** emitted a sinister dark red light as if something entered it.

A moment later the intricate seal diagram faded but left paper thin groves that matched the geometric type Fūinjutsu of the alien on the child's hands, feet, and forehead. It had also outlined the **Hakke no Fūin Shiki** (Eight Trigram Seal)** and** **Shiki Fūin**. The other two sealing styles faded completely leaving no trace they were ever there. When the Sandaime looked carefully he was able to see that the groves were filled in with crystallized blood allowing one to gain an impression of what the seal looked like. Luckily without the proper precise detail of the brush stroke and the necessary sacrifice it was essentially impossible to recreate the **Shiki** **Fūin** or **Hakke no Fūin Shikai**.

The Sandaime glanced to the head medic Yoshiro who shook himself out of his stupor and instantly had his hands aglow with medical chakra.

After running his hands over the infant's body thrice Yoshiro finally glanced at the Sandaime with an expression that radiated awe and wonder. "The cancer is no longer feeding off Naruto's chakra is spreading like normal if extremely aggressive cancer. The Kyūbi's chakra is now breaking down the chakra faster than it can form. The levels of the Kyūbi's in Naruto's system has dwindled to only twice the normal levels to break down the cancer faster than it can grow. The Kyūbi's chakra also seems to be bonding with some of the cancer groups; it seems to breaking those parts down only fast enough so that it doesn't spread further. The most incredible part is that the Jinchūriki's body has been altered on a genetic level in some way that I still can't figure out. The cancer will take about three years to completely break down at this rate. I don't think we can expect Naruto function in any normal capacity since one of the cancer groups formed in his brain. He won't die from it now but he will hardly be coherent for some time, if at all."

The aged Hokage shook his head in wonder and decided that he didn't need to know how or why this happened right this minute. So long as he could know that the legacy of the Fourth Hokage would live. Unknown to the aged Fire Shadow a single tear fell from his eye as he leaned over the infant to embrace it in a fatherly hug. That tear fell onto the center of the Naruto's forehead at the center of the grooved seal outline. The tear glowed slightly and crystallized into a small jewel that smoldered with the embers of a new flame. Knowingly or not that single action turned the idea of the Will of Fire into a reality.

**AN: This is Ragdain here, I am going to be updating all my chapters before I get to my new ones since most of them are utter crap. I really wasn't serious with this story before but since this one reviewer claimed it was crap and has a slower start than a dictionary. A dictionary doesn't have a start which hinted that it was indeed too slow. So I will be editing my chapter for more content, back story and witty conversation and word play. Tell me if this helps of if I should just drop the story.**


	3. Awakening

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything associated or belonging to Naruto, Bleach, Claymore, or any other associated anime or cartoon. This Fanfiction is the property of Ragdain, as well as all original characters and OC's.

**Rise of the Azura God-**

"Normal Talk: How come I sleep so much?"

"Bijū or Celestial Talk:** Becuase your a lazy bastard?"**

"Normal Thoughts; _Hey...I'll have you know my parents were married"_

"Bijū or Celestial Thoughts;** "You didn't even try to deny you're lazy...**_**"**_

"Jutsu Incantations; **Kage-Shuriken no Jutsu**" (Shadow Shuriken Technique)

It had been four years since the Jinchūriki Naruto had been born and the strange groves on his skin had appeared. So far no one had been able to explain what they were or what the tear shaped jewel on Naruto's forehead was. The first and only attempt to remove it ended when it was discovered that the jewel was connected directly to his Kaimon and Kyūmon, the first and second of the Celestial Eight Gates. Any attempt to remove it threatened to open both gates at once, for an infant it would have been fatal and that would have unleashed the Kyūbi.

Despite the strange circumstances, the Sandaime was ecstatic with the survival of the Fourth's legacy. He was less thrilled about the negative reaction the civilian populous had, especially when they began to shout for the boy's death. Knowing that the death of the container would unleash the Kyūbi the Sandaime ordered it an S-Ranked secret for anyone to speak about the sealing, especially to the boy himself.

Still the Sandaime kept the child with him to ensure its protection until the boy could walk, which was surprisingly when he was just six months old. A surprise since most humans didn't have the muscle or coordination to do anything more than crawl at that age. Curiously even though he could already walk he had yet to speak, whenever he tried to make a sound his words and syllables were stretched. It was as if he were trying to drag out his words or speak exceptionally slowly as one would to a particular dumb child. Then h would shut his mouth and stay silent for the remainder of the day. When the Sandaime had one of the better medic-nin look him over who specialized in cases like these the woman was baffled. When she spoke to the Sandaime about it she claimed that there were several abnormalities and full blown mutations within his Naruto's brain; especially the frontal lobe which even had an altered shape.

Not knowing what to do about this the Sandaime called in Yoshiro Fumio, the Head medic to look at Naruto again. Yoshiro reported that while the mutations were indeed advancing to the more complicated parts of the body that there was nothing to worry about. It seemed that the Kyūbi's chakra and the strange energy it bonded with had speed up to handle this mutation as well. He also told the old Hokage to not expect Naruto to be even vaguely comprehensible until he reached the age of three when the mutations to his body would have gotten to a point where they no longer affected the body.

For three years Naruto was placed in a high security ward guarded by two squads of ANBU whose loyalty to the Sandaime was unquestionable. They guarded Naruto and his room at all times, no shift was left until the other ANBU confirmed who they were.

For three years Naruto simply laid in a bed, every day the groves on his skin would flare three times at regular intervals before the small jewel at the center of his head glowed. Each flare would result in a seizure like episode that strained every muscle group in his body beyond the breaking point. Muscles tore themselves as they shattered the bones they were tethered to, the shattered splitters of bone would then shred the muscles that hadn't snapped as they constricted around the shattered remains. The glow of the small jewel that smoldered with the personification of the Will of Fire would heal the broken muscle and bone in seconds making them stronger than before; just as the generations the generations of grew stronger than the other in a baptism of fire and pain. Even as this happened though a spark of intelligence lit in the once comatose blond.

**88888888**

At first all he could comprehend was a vast darkness as endless as the void of death. It was a confusing existence before he awakened but he also had to admit that it was…peaceful. He didn't know why but he absolutely detested that feeling.

The first thing that he became aware of when he first 'woke up' was a memory of red rage and golden flame that bleed blue. An echo of a memory of a woman with crimson eyes whose figure was breathed with the same golden flame, dancing around the corona was golden energy as it discharged into the air. A feeling of comfort and the promise of pain, but of whose he did not know. Of course he couldn't actually quite comprehend what it was that he was seeing or feeling at the time since he had no understanding of words or abstract ideas.

After the memory he began to get a sense of abstract thought; letters, words, phrases, sentences, grammar, and all other forms of writing and words that he had never known before. He was frightened at first, instinctually afraid of the new knowledge. However even as words and concepts he had never even heard before were pounded and engraved into his conscious and unconscious mind something else which startled him more than anything else allowed him the ultimate enlightenment, understanding.

Even as his mind was filled he began to understand the basis of what exactly was being pushed into his head. Understanding of the most basic of notions came first, the abstract concepts such as letters, numbers, feelings, and thoughts opened his eyes to world he had never imagined in his prison of darkness. For each word that entered his mind came a definition, antonym, and a definition of its antonym. Each word branched off into another and each definition showed him more words that in turn branched off into more definitions and so on and so forth. The process was actually physically painful, his head had the most insidious ache and his body burnt as if on fire. It felt like every muscle of his body was convulsing, crushing his own bones and constricting his diaphragm. It was an experience of pure horror, he could only imagine that if this was what it felt like to live then he wanted to go back to the dark nothingness from which he came.

Still, whether he knew it or not he was a fighter, even if all his days were spent in such agonizing pain he would continue on living and never back down. Until he realized that he would never know what drove him to take a shuddering gasp of air and open cerulean eyes wide and enter completely into this world of light. The first thing he saw was a white ceramic mask hovering ahead of him, the first thing that his mind processed was the word Assassin and its definition before everything faded to white…

**88888888**

The ANBU team currently watching over Naruto felt a spike in chakra from the boy himself before the heart monitors connected to him went ballistic. Now this was normally what happened three times a day every day and so wasn't what caught their attention. What did catch their attention as the fact that the last seizure the boy had was five minutes ago and it was supposed to be the last one for the day.

Following protocol the two fastest ANBU in their group initiated their fastest Shunshin, one headed off for the Hokage's Tower and the other headed for the head doctor at the hospital who usually handled Naruto's case. The ANBU captain assigned to them also immediately called for the standby team who arrived in under a minute. They had been prepared all week for this since the deadline for Naruto to awaken was in that timeframe. While all this was happening the first thing their medic had done was go to see what was wrong with Naruto and to stabilize him. That ANBU was in for a real surprise when he got close to Naruto's bed and first saw the boy's eyes. They were open wide, the pupil a luminous cerulean that actually glowed with a phosphorescent light. The small jewel on Naruto's forehead was shining brightly like a smoldering piece of coal while the groves in his skin were emitting a tranquil sea green light so bright that they actually illuminated the room.

Just as the head doctor arrived the glowing groves on Naruto's skin started to expand and for the second time in three years they could see that the groves were actually five different complex seals. On at the center of his forehead with the small jewel in the middle, and a seal on each hand and foot with the Shiki Fūin located on his navel. Although only the head doctor recognized even faintly that the other five seals that were connected to the Shiki Fūin were actually seals and separate from the Shiki Fūin.

During all this Naruto's mouth was wide open in a silent scream of unimaginable pain, hot tears poured down his eyes, actually burning his own flesh. The sealing script on his body flared with light so brightly that it actually began to burn the paint on the walls causing them peel and flake. Even as that happened Naruto's small body began to float into the air as the groves that traced each seal began to glow red. Fresh blood the color of rubies caught in sunlight began to expel itself from the groves at the center of each seal line. Before the head doctor could even try to get to the boy the blood lashed out at everything inside the room faster than most trained eyes could follow.

The ANBU close to Naruto had no chance to react and was literally torn and slashed beyond recognition by tendrils of burning blood. Entrails, fragments of bone, and pieces of smoldering flesh splashed against the pristine white walls. The two pieces of the ANBU were quickly dissolved by the seemingly acidic blood that had splattered all over him. In three seconds flat all that was left was a skeleton and the ceramic mask. The other ANBU that was hit had pushed the head doctor down and had taken the hit for him. Luckily he only had his right leg severed but everyone in the room who didn't already, would learn swiftly the meaning of true horror.

Before the ANBU could do anything about the wound the attacking blood forced itself into the his exposed blood vessels, disintegrating him from within as the vile blood surged throughout the ANBU's blood veins and arteries. The ANBU's own blood when coming into contact with the acidic vile blood boiled and flash vaporized in his vessels. Unfortunately for the ANBU he tried to flood his body with chakra to expel the poison which the invading blood reacted to violently. The result caused an explosive reaction in his blood stream which proceeded to indeed explode with concussive force, shredding his skin disintegrating his muscles even as his eyes melted inside his head. His bloody screams came to a sudden halt as his heart exploded and blew out his chest cavity. The seemingly sentient blood gushed out of the man's mouth and destroyed lungs but not before tearing his head off to finish him before it connected back to the main branch of blood from which it came.

The other ANBU were already moving in to set up a barrier to contain the monstrosity that was once Naruto's blood when the Sandaime Shunshined into the room. The reaction was immediate, the moment the Sandaime entered the room his aura of chakra flooded the entire vicinity. The crimson blood being projected from Naruto's body froze. For a moment the blood hovered above Naruto as if deciding whether or not to attack before it seemed to recognize the chakra as one that had been protecting its host. Ever so slowly the seemingly intelligent blood receded back into the groves of the seals which slowly lost their red aura and faded away until nothing was left. The green light of the seals also powered down until all that was left were the groves of his skin. Finally the boys eyes slowly closed but the Sandaime noticed that they never once lost their phosphorescent glow. Only when Naruto stopped floating and fell back into his bed did the Sandaime sigh as he reigned in his chakra.

The Sandaime turned to the surviving ANBU who were guarding the Yoshiro the head medic. They immediately moved out of the way as the old Hokage motioned him foreword while keeping a cautious eye on Naruto's prone form. In a near whisper he spoke but his voice still held the same commanding presence if not more so then when he spoke normally. "Tell me his condition, however if you see any of the groves turning red then back away immediately."

Yoshiro nodded and keeping a cautious eye on Naruto's prone form slowly edged closer and used the barest minimum amount of chakra he could to activate the three necessary techniques for an in depth scan. When his hands were surrounded in the emerald ethereal glow Yoshiro slowly moved his hands back and forth over Naruto's body. When he finally got to the third pass he shook his head and cut off the chakra powering the technique. "I don't know how it's doing it but the groves for the main seals seemed to be emitting a field that reflects almost all my chakra. Naruto's skin is also reflecting and absorbing almost half of what's left. Still I got enough data to know for sure that several entire organs in his body have been mutated extensively, almost to the point of no longer resembling what it should. The most radical thing is that his entire digestive tract has been has been entirely mutated beyond recognition."

The Sandaime held up a hand for the man to stop and asked with thinning patience. "What happened to the Jinchūriki, did that blood attack cause any internal damage?"

Yoshiro narrowed his eyes at his leader's reference to the boy but bowed his head as the Sandaime glared at him demanding an answer. "From what I could sense there was extensive internal bleeding and minor damage to the Epidermis and the Dermis. From my scans I could sense that the injuries were almost already done healing. Even though the blood seems to come from the groves on…the Jinchūriki's skin the blood is actually pulled from every organ and blood vessel in the body. From what I can tell the groves somehow alter the bloods chemical properties to turn it into a corrosive self generating acid stronger than anything I have ever seen. The extreme levels of light though are what caused the damage to… the Jinchūriki's skin which has already healed."

The Sandaime nodded and said with a tired voice. "My insistence on not getting attached to the Jinchūriki should be obvious. We do not yet know if it will the boy who next open those eyes or the Kyūbi finally free from its cell."

Yoshiro looked shocked and asked with genuine shock, "Is the Fourth's Sealing technique truly not strong enough to completely subjugate the beast?"

The Sandaime snorted and with a glance the ANBU returned to their positions in the shadows. "The Fourth's sealing technique is greater than even I had imagined, it has held even though the Kyūbi power has grown greater than even the Fourth could have imagined and yet the seal he created held. I am not sure if the Fourth's sealing technique is holding because of those strange sealing script that have etched themselves onto the Jinchūriki's body or the jewel that manifested on his forehead."

Yoshiro shook his head and said with a sober tone in his voice, "All I know is that in order for me to give you a definite medical report I would have to do things the civilian way simply cut him open and look inside. However unlike a civilian who would have to rest and recover for a month or more the Jinchūriki will heal the moment we are done…or during the procedure which will be really difficult."

The Sandaime rubbed the area between his eyes but finally nodded. "This seems far too much like something Orochimaru would do but we have very little choice. Very well but make sure that he is incapacitated or at least comatose before you do anything. Also in light of what just happened here I suspect that it would be best if I was also present just in case."

Yoshiro nodded and shivered slightly at the mess the boy had made of the two ANBU. He most definitely didn't want to die like that second ANBU that was for sure!

With a quick nod to the Sandaime he headed back to the Hospital while the Sandaime simply initiated a Shunshin and headed back to his office via a open window.

**88888888**

Danzō frowned slightly as a report of what happened in the hospital earlier was placed on his desk by one his Ne ANBU. His eyes narrowed since now he had to rethink how he would kill the Jinchūriki since plane old assassination would fail spectacularly if the boy had a healing rate of that magnitude and such a fearsome defense. Still Danzō had not reached the age he was at by being rash and stupid. None of his Ne ANBU had a technique that could get past the Jinchūriki's healing factor or defense and Yamanaka techniques would be useless against a Jinchūriki. He would have to get outside help, possibly from Kumo. Their hot head of a Raikage would jump at the chance to 'weaken' Konoha in a way that would leave no evidence implicating him or his village if they failed. Ame was out though, even though they specialized in assassination techniques they were currently in a civil war and thus not reliable. Suna on the other hand couldn't even kill off their Jinchūriki and it was a host of the one tails. Iwa however was a probability that he might go with. They had two Jinchūriki who were masters of using their Bijū.

Danzō shook himself out of his contemplation and instead decided to just go with the most likely to accept and succeed with the mission. Kumo it was, although he should probably try to find a way to use it against them too…

**88888888**

The Fourth Raikage otherwise known as A frowned as he received a report on his desk. He resisted smashing the table in half and crushing the offending piece of information into oblivion. It appeared that the rumors of Iwa using the criminal organization Akatsuki for high ranking missions had been confirmed. Of course the fact that he was building up his army to better defend his village had nothing to do with it, that paranoid Ōnoki was definitely overreacting!

Still Iwa wasn't the one he was most worried about; it was Konoha who had possession of both the Sharingan and the Byakugan. The two infamous clans were otherwise called the Sword ad Shield of Konoha, respectfully. During the Third Shinobi World War it was proven that with both clans Konoha was powerful. Combined with the Fourth's strength and Hiraishin technique they had been incredible. When the treaties with Suna and the dozens of other small shinobi villages were taken into account Konoha was neigh unbeatable. What worried A even more was that in ten years time Konoha would once more have recovered completely from the last war and the Kyūbi attack.

He had given his sacred vow on his father's grave that he would do all in his power to ensure the villages security. A was a realist though, and knew that even with him building up his forces during the interlude that his village would still be in danger from Konoha. It all revolved around the Byakugan and the Sharingan, if they lost just one of the clans then they would be weaken enough to bring them within the realm of plausible defeat. However the same could be said that if he could somehow gain control of one of their blood-lines, then that would also put Kumo on an even playing field.

A nodded to himself and began making plans for an operation to gain one of blood-lines. He would prefer the Byakugan mainly for its reconnaissance and scouting ability, not to mention their fearsome Taijutsu. However that was about as far as he got before he remembered that he didn't have to do this, it was why his father had a damn council for!

A shook his head and turned to his assistant Mabui and all but yelled, "Mabui tell Dodai to meet me in my office five minutes ago!"

Mabui simply glanced at him expectantly causing him to grumble before speaking again, this time his voice actively restrained. "_**Please**_."

She nodded satisfied and quickly wrote down his instructions before she used her Tensō no Jutsu to send it to Dodai's location since the Raikage seemed to be in a hurry. The Raikage nodded in approval before considering exactly how he could infiltrate Konoha without it leading to war.

**88888888**

Hiruzen Sarutobi finally allowed himself to relax in the comfort of his office. It was tiring being the Sandaime Hokage, the God of Shinobi all the damn time and to be honest he was simply tired of it. Still he had made a personal pledge to himself to become the God of Shinobi one last time and he would follow through until he could finally rest his old bones. Still ever since he had made his choice his tolerance for insubordination and disrespect had lowered drastically. It also reflected his views on politics, and his tolerance for Danzō.

Hiruzen reached into his oak desk and took out a mission scroll labeled S-Rank. He broke the seal and carefully read over it only for his eyes to widen marginally before they narrowed in thought.

The mission was issued by a group of freedom fighters from Ame, a group that were calling themselves Akatsuki. Most of their members were B to A rank ninja while the three leaders of the group were S-Ranked shinobi. They were asking for a guard detail in a peace meeting Hanzō the Salamander had called which would convene in three weeks. Their reasons for asking for an escort were that they had received intelligence that Hanzō was going to try something during the peace talk and they wanted to be prepared.

Hiruzen wondered how they could afford it and who he would even be willing to send in a deathtrap like Ame. He considered just ignoring it but something in the back of his mind seemed to urge him to accept it. He frowned and carefully checked for any type of genjutsu first before casting a release strong enough to shatter a A-Rank genjutsu just in case. When nothing happened he frowned and finally decided on a plan of action. Since his instincts had never been wrong before when not under the influence of a genjutsu he decided that he would trust them.

With that though in his mind the Sandaime Hokage began to look at the roster of available Jōnin; Kakashi Hatake would be back from his last mission in a week while Asuma Sarutobi was on leave for two weeks recovering from his last mission. Might Guy was waiting for a mission while Kurenai Yūhi had just been sent on a mission; she was expected back in three days. Shibi Aburame, Shikaku Nara, Choza Akimichi, and Inoichi Yamanaka were all on a joint mission and were expected back in two weeks. There was also Yamato to consider but being that he was Black Ops and in ANBU Hiruzen decided to error on the side of caution, especially when dealing with Danzō. Lastly there was Hizashi Hyūga, Inuzuka Tsume, and Shisui Uchiha; since Hizashi was a sealed branch member the Hyūga would have no objection with putting him on the mission.

With the three Jōnin teams assembled Hiruzen inclined his head in satisfaction, for S-Rank mission like these ones it would normally be considered overkill. However this time Hanzō the Salamander himself was directly involved, the only thing he was worried about at this point was if he had given the teams enough firepower.

**AN: Ragdain here, I got some really nice reviews and thankfully some people notified me of a few corrections in acronyms. I also got a concern from another reader that stated that my stories didn't match. Sorry for not being clear enough but the form of interdimensional travel Azure was using was also a form of time travel. The relevance is that because she didn't exist in the world she was going to and the Kyūbi did the energy of the Kyūbi she absorbed got there first. Even though the energy was still under her control its purified form was once again tainted by the Kyūbi making people think the Kyūbi had somehow gotten stronger. This caused the many problems that were slowly killing Naruto until the seal she set up was able to cross the interdimensional crossway since it was also powered partly by the Kyūbi's power. Azure herself will take much longer to reach there. **

**Also since this was confusing for some readers I will explain how Naruto got the Kyūbi sealed inside him even though Azure absorbed the one the other dimension. When Azure sealed herself inside Naruto and sent both of them to this dimension the Naruto of that dimension was fused with the Naruto of this dimension. Essentially since the Kyūbi of that dimension had still been sealed when the Naruto of the other dimension fused with the one with this dimension the Kyūbi was still sealed within the merged Naruto's. The important thing to note though is like I stated above, since Azure didn't exist in that dimension she will take longer to get there then both Naruto and the Kyūbi even though the Kyūbi is still controlled by her will.**

**Another concern was Azure's energy changed to chakra. Her energy didn't become chakra; it was simply that she lacked the fundamental understanding to control her own energy in the way the humans of this dimension could. When she gained the enlightenment of chakra it didn't mean her energy transformed, it simply meant that her energy was similar enough to chakra for the concept to work with her own energy. Sorry for not being clear about this beforehand. I'll try to be clearer later on. **

**Moreover another reader asked if I got inspiration from a different work of Fanfiction. I have to admit that I did get some inspiration for the plot and storyline from various other Fanfiction's, however the idea to use a God in this context to my knowledge hasn't yet been done. Also Azure is my personal OC derived from a fantasy/Sci-Fi story that I am wrote myself, all from my overactive imagination.**

**Well that's about it, so until next time remember to review so I can have a general idea of how I should take the story from here. Oh and for the reader who asked if I was going to change Naruto into Nariko to be a better vessel for the goddess and to temp others; I have decided that I indeed will next chapter which will focus more on Naruto this time around.**

**Sayonara! **


	4. Mutation and Evolution

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything associated or belonging to Naruto, Bleach, Claymore, or any other associated anime or cartoon. This Fanfiction is the property of Ragdain, as well as all original characters and OC's.

**Rise of the Azura God-**

"Normal Talk: How do you see in the absence of light"

"Bijū Talk:** Light the darkness with the light of spirit"**

"Normal Thoughts; _uh...no I mean...never mind."_

"Bijū Thoughts;** "You aren't all that bright are you?**_**"**_

"Jutsu Incantations; **Kage-Kunai Uzumaki no Jutsu**" (Spirling Shadow Kunai)

Floating in a darkness that could only be born from the dreamless expanses of an unrefined representation of thought, the Kyūbi Vessel awoke. It was a strange experience, awaking to what essentially amounted to nothing. But then again since he only had one prior experience that he could consciously recall to compare it with he couldn't even really claim to know what normalcy felt like. So he ignored any further contemplation on that subject.

When the nearly tangible darkness again became perceptible to his sights the Kyūbi vessel realized two things. First and most importantly he knew he had a name, Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze.

He recalled from the massive surged of information that had ravaged his mind earlier that his first name was perhaps the second most relevant to the now. Its origin laid with one of the Densetsu No Sannin as well as the strongest, Jiraiya the Toad Sage of Mt. Myōboku. The name originated from the Sage's first book, the legend of the gutsy ninja and was in fact the main character. This technically made Jiraiya his God father if what he could recall of the current culture was accurate. His second name, Uzumaki while no longer relevant originated from the Senju branch family who were of course called the Uzumaki. They were famous for their art in sealing techniques. Ironically their sealing techniques were also the reason why their country was destroyed. The Uzumaki Clan grew so infamous for them that over the course of the second Shinobi World War they were attacked by almost every other Hidden Village in the land. The third and last name was the most relevant; Namikaze was the last name of the Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze. While being the son of arguably the most powerful Kage to ever live in the history of the Elemental Nations sounded cool the culture of this world revealed it to be a death sentence. Because the Fourth Hokage died during the sealing of the Kyūbi his enemies would come to assassinate him if they ever learned that he was indeed the child of the Fourth Hokage.

The second thing that he realized was that he could actually feel his body, whereas before he only had a vague sense of self. He couldn't quite explain it with words but the closet thing he could describe it as was being hyperaware of his body while electricity was channeled through his veins. It actually felt uncomfortable, on the verge of actually being painful. Yet the pain was not a physical one, it felt as if the channels for all the energy was stretched painfully. He could also sense a distinct division within the energy of his body; he believed it was called his chakra. His chakra felt like it was composed of three separate viscous liquids, each one trying to intermingle with the other. He knew that all chakra was composed of two separate natures that were naturally mixed into even quantities by the body itself. The knowledge itself came from memories of his mother although he couldn't recall the circumstances surrounding it. These two chakra natures were called the Yin and Yang, or as most other people came to call them physical and mental energies. These two natures could be combined to create jutsu. He also knew that each person had a different feel to their chakra and some people had stronger chakra then others. He assumed this new found knowledge was the result of that massive wave of information being seared into his mind.

What he assumed his Yang nature chakra was vibrant and energetic, the personification of life and vitality. It was dense and felt powerful but at the same time it also felt natural as if it was harmonized with the life around it. The only thing that unnerved him about it was that while it was indeed potent and dense it also felt as if his Yang nature chakra was empty, hollow almost. When his body mixed the energy with the other three it actually felt as an almost insatiable hunger was ever so slowly building in him that he couldn't describe or explain. It was a frightening sensation, yet at the same time it was exhilarating. However what he assumed was Yin natured chakra was…different. It had a wraithlike quality to it, an eerie aura that stirred thoughts spirits and demons. It was thinner than his Yang natured chakra but inspired a feeling of control. It possessed a presence that almost felt sacred, as if being its very presence thinned the veil of the spirit would. He couldn't help but feel that his Yin natured chakra was simply unnatural, as if it should exist in a heavenly tier and not on the mortal plane. It was highly unnerving, each time he reached out his senses to feel it he felt as if he stood on the edge of a precipice. He feared that if he sensed any deeper then he would lose himself to its flow and be swept away to the River Styx and never be able to transverse the world of mortality. It was the third component of the Trinity that made him tremble. He hesitated to actually call the strange energy chakra, it had the same principle to it that chakra did but it was somehow…more. It was far denser than both his Yin and Yang natured chakra's combined and twice as potent. Luckily his body seemed to only need a small amount of it compared to the quantities his Yin and Yang chakra natures took. The 'chakra' was energetic and had a fiery nature; whenever he tried extending his senses to it he got the impression of crimson eyes as well as gold and sapphire, as strange as that sounded. It had a presence of majesty and awe inspiring power, as if he stood in the presence of Kami herself. He couldn't help but feel if that there ever was a moment that defined what it meant to be holy, that the strange energy existed in that moment. It was equal parts terrifying, exhilarating, and overwhelming and quite frankly it freaked him out to no end. Despite that his body produced more energy than three Jōnin; however his body used most of it. All that was left available was just enough to equal a high Chūnin if he was feeling generous.

Still each 'chakra' was mixing naturally as far as the information implanted in his mind could tell but something seemed off. Not with his chakra but with his surroundings, he felt as if he should be able to sense everything around him even with his eyes closed but something was preventing it. With a frown he tried to turn his senses outward. He focused on trying to feel even the minutest air current on his skin. He tried to hear even the lightest footfalls and the smallest of sounds. He tried to smell the traces of metal, leather, oil, and sweat that would indicate a shinobi or catch the scent of even the most minute traces wool and denim. He tried to sense the changes in light around him beyond his closed eye and reached out with his chakra sense to sense if anyone was around. Surprisingly his body seemed to be highly adapted this kind of thing, almost like it was preconditioned specifically for a purpose such as this. However all his senses told him that he was in an enclosed room, his chakra sense showed him sealing script designed to seemingly absorb and reflect chakra and to harden the walls built into the stone of the building itself. The floor also had sealing script built into that had the same purpose.

Frowning slightly Naruto tried to sit up but it took a bit more effort than it should have taken and he distinctively heard a screeching rending sound that felt like nails being stabbed into his ears. He tried to covered his ears only to feel the same resistance and hear the noise again but this time his bed buckled. His eyes snapped open only to shut as the level of light was as blinding as if he had stared into the center of a sun.

**88888888**

In a sealed an enclosed room deep under the ANBU headquarters a child looking little older than three years of age lay strapped to a medical bed. The child was androgynous and couldn't have been identified as a male or female with the blanket covering its slender form. Its face was equal parts delicate and masculine. Its facial structure was delicate, almost bordering on feminine while the shape of its eyes, eyelashes, and arched eyebrows were distinctly female or at most androgynous. The groves in the child's forehead, hands, and abdomen were strange to behold but the smoldering jewel at the center of the circular groves on the child's forehead gave a mysterious air. However the child's hair was the thing that through people off, it was as spiky as a sea urchin on the top of his head. However at the back his head the child's hair fell into nine distinct banes that reached its shoulders. Framing its face were two relatively strait banes that reached its chin and gave a startling resemblance to the Fourth Hokage. The hair itself was actually the strangest part; it was distinctly an aureate golden blond, as if it was made of spun gold and the purest sunrays.

For nearly three years the child had stayed in a medical room in a secure part of emergency ward. However because of an incident that happened not a week and half ago that ended with two ANBU dead the child had been moved here. An enclosed room at the very bottom of the ANBU headquarters, the room was capable of being sealed shut at a moment's notice so tightly not even the Hokage himself would have been able to escape.

That was exactly what happened not ten minutes ago when the medic-nin overseeing him for the day saw an extreme increase in brain activity. Having been notified of exactly what happened last time this happened, the medic-nin had immediately equated the entire level and sealed the room shut. The only conceivable openings to the outside world were concealed air vents on all four sides of the room. Even then they were hidden with a nearly unnoticeable porous grate that anyone without chakra enhanced vision or a doujutsu would miss. Not wishing to take any risks the child was bound by steel chains sheathed in boiled leather which bound the child's torso, arms, and legs to the floor. Other chains with the same composition were tied to manacles that bound the child's wrists together; the chains themselves were connected to the beds armrests. His ankles were similarly bound.

The child at first showed no signs of life even after ten minutes besides the brain monitor beeping at an incredible accelerating rate. Then the first sign of life manifested in the twitch of a finger, a slight tightening of the eyes, and after a few moments a full body shiver. The brain monitors began to accelerate exponentially faster until all that could be deciphered was a shrill continuous tone until they literally burnt themselves out.

For another minute nothing happened but then without warning the child tried to sit up, the leather bound steel chains held for a fraction of a second before with shrill rending screech they snapped as the boiled leather was torn asunder. At the shrill noise the child sat up faster than a trained eye could see, the action tearing the other chains from the ground with savage force or simply snapping them like thin wool string. The child tried to cover its ears not a split second later. The action snapping both chains and rending the chains that held the manacles together like wet tissue. This action also threw the blanket off its thin frame revealing a naked torso that hinted that the child was indeed male. Long gaunt, sinewy muscle was seemingly etched into the boy's thin frame even as the skin over the child's body was stretched taunt. The child's eyes snapped open, revealing luminous cerulean irises that glowed icy blue with a phosphorescent light. In the split second they were opened the child's pupils dilated into thin slits. A chocked scream tore past the child's lips before his hands covered his eyes.

For a moment the child was still, the only movement being the slight trembling of his shoulders and the arid smoke coming from his burning skin as acidic tears burnt the child's face and hands. Then slowly but steadily the child's tears began to stop, and the small boy finally lower his burnt hands which trembled with fear and pain even as they began to heal. Any who might have been paying attention would realize the wounds from the boys tears were healing noticeably more slowly then any other injury his body had sustained before.

Ever so slowly the young boy began to creek his eyes open once more. He was careful not to open them too much less the light once again sear his eyes even though the intensity of light only matched a twilight gloom. Finally the boy was able to completely open his eyes, blinking back acidic tears even as cerulean iris with an icy phosphorescent glow once more shone brightly in the dim of the room. The pupils of the eyes narrowed into a thin slits that presented a mirror into the abyss for any that cared to look closely enough.

The boy whose name was Naruto looked upon the drab white room in wonder as if he had never seen anything like it. However the boy seemed to be looking beyond the tacky white paint, almost as if he was looking at something beyond it. The child's inquisitive glance turned into one of contemplation after a moment before transforming into one of complete focus. Naruto slowly sat up and knelled Turkish style on the soft but stiff bed while his hands folded together in his lap. The manacles on his wrists clicked softly as they brushed against each other causing Naruto to flinch slightly but little else. He closed his eyes and seemed to focus on something beyond the senses of any shinobi who lacked a dōjutsu.

Naruto stayed in this stance, seemingly going deeper into the trancelike state every second until he became absolutely still. If one didn't check his heart then might not even be able to tell if the boy was alive and even then his heart beat had slowed considerably. His chest rose and fell so slowly that one had to watch carefully to see any movement at all.

The boy was so lost in his trancelike state that he didn't even notice when the door to the enclosed room which had been sealed glowed gently as the seals holding it shut were released. He didn't notice the door open on oiled hinges or the gentle displacement of air the door opening caused. The scent of cherry flavored smoke, new paper and ink, and silk only seemed to lull the child even further into his trance. The child tensed ever so slightly from the current of air the powerful figure made as he moved towards him. However the aura of potent chakra, which bore aspects of fire and earth that flooded the room seemed to relax the child completely. The wizened old man who approached the child smiled ever so slightly at the peace his presence gave.

The old man tentatively reached out a wrinkled hand and gently caressed the child's face as he spoke softly, as one might to timid deer. "Come back to this world little one, let this foolish old man dare hope that the legacy of his successor is free from the shadow of the demon."

The child seemed to hear his plea and slowly came back from the trancelike state; his heart beat began to return to normal even as his breathing began to even out. The child's eyes fluttered before slowly opening, revealing eyes that glowed brightly with a phosphorescent light. Cerulean orbs met hazel and for a moment they simply stared at each other until the child, Naruto blinked and tilted his head. Slowly and with great trouble Naruto seemed to try and speak which confounded the old man, but he listen with rapt attention. Finally Naruto seemed to gather his wits and spoke; although his words were drawn out they were still comprehensible. "Ooolllddd Mmmaaannn?"

It came out as a sounding like a question but the child's eyes held a sure knowledge of what he was saying. The 'old man' looked upon the child in wonder before smiling slightly and nodding. When he spoke it was clear and deliberate, trying to show the child how to speak by example. "My name is Hiruzen Sarutobi; I am the Sandaime Hokage and leader of Konoha. That is where the village we are in is located; do you understand what I am telling you?"

The child seemed to pick up on Hiruzen's tone almost as soon as he began speaking and also seemed to notice the speed he spoke. Naruto nodded almost shyly and once more tried to speak, this time his voice sounded more normal but his tone was still slightly off. "I understand, my name…the Source tells me my name is Naruto, Naruto Uzumaki. The source tells me I can trust you but it also says to never repeat the last part of my name."

Hiruzen's eyes widened slightly at the reference to this mysterious Source before they narrowed. He prepared to switch into his Hokage persona at a moment's notice. He had a suspicion of what this Source might be but he hoped to every god he knew of that he was wrong. "What is this Source you speak of Naruto?"

The boy seemed to notice Hiruzen's narrowed eyes but couldn't seem to place what they meant. "The Source… the Source is knowledge and understanding of writing, numbers, culture, and the spoken word. When I first left the darkness I knew nothing, the Source was seared into my mind when I entered the world of light. Its roots buried into the deepest depths of my psyche and spread to all corners of my mind, filling it with knowledge and memories. Memories of an old woman in a white kimono with two buns in her hair; memories of a man with a mane of white hair dressed in clothing fit for a Kabuki actor with red tears painted onto his face."

By this point Hiruzen's skin had gained a sickly pallor as he realized exactly whose memories this mysterious Source had given Naruto and what it could mean. With a noticeable tremor in his voice he asked with a horrified fascination, "Do the memories of these people show you strange writing, writing different from the normal one?"

Naruto nodded hesitantly, confused by Hiruzen's tone but ultimately choosing to ignore it. "When I tried to look into the script buried in the walls those memories surface and let me read the script. However when I look away from it or lose focus the memories of the strange writing fade from my mind and I can no longer recall it. I can only recall what the words of script buried in the wall say and what their purpose is."

Hiruzen let out a shaky breath of relief and decided that since Naruto already knew this much that there was no point in keeping the Kyūbi a secret. However before he could even formulate the best way to phrase his statement Naruto blinked and frowned, the action catching Hiruzen's attention. "I know about the sealing as well but I do not understand why the Kyūbi was sealed twice."

That statement through the aged Kage for a loop, his keen mind furiously began to look for connections between Naruto's words and the strange circumstances that befell the child during the sealing and up to now. The one plausible theory he could conceive was that Naruto somehow received the memories of alternate versions of Kushina and Minato. It would explain what this mysterious Source was since the Shiki Fūin was powered by Kushina's soul and chakra while its functions were powered by a fragment of Minato's and most of his chakra. However that didn't explain what this Source actually was. If it was indeed a repository of knowledge then it like the Kyūbi should have been held inside the seal. He knew that despite the Kyūbi's monstrous growth that the seal held and hadn't so much as buckled so he could rule out a crack in the seal. However that would then disprove his theory that the Source was indeed a congregation of Kushina's and Minato's experience and knowledge. So that left the question, what was the Source?

Naruto was about to speak up again but Hiruzen, deciding that he got enough information held up a withered hand to forestall anything he might add. The Sandaime now had enough information compiled to hand over to his intelligence division to decipher. Any further information was either already documented or not necessary and would indeed become more of a hindrance or distraction then something actually helpful. He himself definitely wanted to avoid overwhelming his intelligence division since there was already so much confusing compiled about Naruto already. The worst part was that he had to sign off on the paperwork and not to mention it could cause the division to overlook something vital.

Naruto himself simply looked confused at the sudden need for silence and the Sandaime's unexpected action. Or more accurately he seemed more confused by Hiruzen's sudden change in personality. He shifted uncomfortably on the bed as a look of understanding crossed his face. Hiruzen was willing to bet his hat that the Source had given him the necessary understand to figure out what was going on. Although considering the fact that he really wanted to retire again the bet wasn't really wasn't that much of a gamble. Still Naruto retained that slightly confused look in his eye and Hiruzen could sense the smallest traces of skepticism. He couldn't blame the boy either, especially since the boy had essentially absorbed two lifetimes worth of life experience and knowledge in about a week and a half. If that wasn't enough of a headache, Naruto probably had to experience the view points of a man and a woman's perspective that eventually married and had a son. Hiruzen could almost feel the sympathetic pounding ache in his skull.

Still the Sandaime Hokage sat up slowly and began to walk out of the room, when Naruto got up to follow the Sandaime turned and shook his head. "I am sorry but you have to stay here. You are simply too dangerous to be allowed to leave. Two ANBU, the most elite of my shinobi were killed by what appeared to be a defensive reaction. If you were allowed to go outside and someone accidentally ran into you then you might kill them and everyone else around you."

Naruto tilted his head in confusion as the Source informed him of what it meant to kill and to die. Yet he couldn't see what the big deal was, according to the Source death was a vital part of life so people shouldn't be afraid to die. Deciding to ask the Sandaime Naruto straitened his neck and asked with honest curiosity, "Why is that a bad thing, old man Sarutobi?"

The Sandaime eyes narrowed slightly but he reminded himself that Naruto was mentally only about thirty minutes old. Even if the boy had access to two lifetimes of experience and knowledge, the only time one could truly understand death was when they witnessed it.

If the Sandaime had known that the Source had made Naruto experiences both Minato and Kushina's own experience with death in war when Naruto himself asked about it, he would have been far more disturbed when Naruto asked that question.

**88888888**

Danzō Shimura was a patient and calculating man, he had learned long ago that emotion while sometimes useful ultimately blinded a Shinobi. He believed that one could only truly become a shinobi through sacrifice and abandoning emotion. However despite these beliefs Danzō found himself feeling the smallest traces of annoyance and true anger directed at perhaps his best agent, Fū. When Fu had reported that the Kyūbi Jinchūriki's seal would be stable enough for it to be killed and take the Kyūbi with it, Fu had forgotten one very important thing. The medic-nin that Fu had retrieved the information from had been confused when he had been debriefed about the situation and so misunderstood. Normally Fu would have tried to confirm the information with someone else, unfortunately all other medic-nin who had helped in the case were pulled from active duty and basically forced to live in the ANBU complex. It was simply not possible to break into that place unnoticed and he couldn't afford to have ROOT uncovered yet. Now they were paying for it.

Danzō once again glanced at the damning sheet of paper; it was the medical report from three hours before the Kyūbi Jinchūriki had awoken. At the bottom was the information the Sandaime himself had gleamed from boy. So now because of a mistake on his part the Kyūbi Jinchūriki was effectively untouchable. Not only because apparently the vessel had the experience of arguably the strongest Kage in history and the previous Kyūbi Jinchūriki, there was also this mysterious 'Source' to consider. From what Hiruzen could discern it was this 'Source' that granted the vessel all its knowledge and experience. The only good news was that the 'Source' apparently somehow suppressed the knowledge, only giving the vessel what it needed. The same rule seemed to apply to the two great Ninja's experiences as well, meaning that while the vessel didn't have the strength or speed of either it made up for with sheer instinct. That wasn't even taking about the physical mutations the vessels body had underwent in the last three years. The Kyūbi Vessel seemed to naturally augment its muscles with large amounts of chakra, granting it strength on par with a High Chūnin and the probable speed of a special Jōnin. Combined with the knowledge of tactics, strategy, and the inner workings of jutsu and the instincts of a experienced Jinchūriki and the world's most powerful Kage and the Kyūbi Vessel could very well match even a High Jōnin blow for blow.

Danzō sighed and with a tap and burst of fire natured chakra the paper was incinerated leaving no evidence. He would have to create a new plan, his old one to assassinate the Kyūbi Jinchūriki would simply not work and would expose his ROOT ninja. However he recalled Kumo's Kage was making plans for something big under the pretense of a peace treaty. Based on their behavior so far he was willing to bet that Kumo would try to abduct a member of a prominent clan with a Blood-line Limit, possibly the Byakugan. If he could figure out which Hyūga they would try and kidnap and which route they would take he could possibly arrange for that route to interweave with the location of Kyūbi Vessel…

And Danzō schemed.

**AN: Ragdain here; alright since so many people were against the idea I decided that I would post a pole to decided what to do as well as give you all a idea of where I was going with the story. As you can see in this chapter the 'Source' is imparting a bit more than just knowledge and experience. In the next chapter I will begin to introduce the concept I will trying to be present. The 'Source' will make Naruto transform into a boy during the waxing cycle of the moon and a girl during the waning phase. It is only during the new moon that Naruto will be effectively genderless; neither male or female. Similar to an angle.**

**For those of you who have been asking when the crossover is going to happen, it has already happened in this chapter. I am sure that some of you with a higher attention to detail have undoubtedly already made the connection, but for the sake of the rest of you I will spell it out. **


	5. Not a chapter

Ragdain here, before anything else know that this is not a chapter. I know that it has almost been two weeks since I last updated but I have been having trouble with the fight scene with Hanzō and the Leaf shinobi. I should be update within the next three days. I have also decided to change the updating pace from a week to every three weeks just to be safe. I will update earlier if I finish before the update.


	6. It begins

Continuation of the last chapter…

**XXX-Four Years Ago-XXX**

Azura, the goddess of Blades and Blood, drifted through the vague realities and dimension of time and thought as she slowly but surely pulled herself towards the dimension that her soon to be vessel had already arrived at. She knew that she would arrive at the dimension a few days after her vessel and the Kyūbi. She also knew that because she was in a questionable state of being, not even on the same plane of existence as her vessel, that some of the mutations she had already started would be…painful to say the least. However that was of little consequence, because for mortals life was pain. The more pain a mortal endured the more a mortal would come to understand the pain of others and themselves and thus allow them to grow. Some mortals might call that philosophy wrong and that kindness could be used in substitute of pain. However without pain the mortal's mentality would stagnate and eventually lead to violence and in the end, pain. So in reality it really didn't matter which path a mortal chose, there would always be pain and so there would always be growth.

That was the reason why the other gods allowed her to do what she wished even though she was banished from the Golden Halls. The Bright Kami herself had given her a chance to redeem herself for the sin that she would commit in this world by banishing her to this dimension until the time of her sin was at hand. At least this way she could have a chance to redeem herself. Yet no matter how hard she looked through the veil of time of the shinobi she could not find what her sin was so she couldn't stop it. The only thing she even knew about it was that her sin would occur because of the one she would eventually choose as a vessel for her power; something that every god had to do in order to establish their religion in the world of their choice. The other gods wouldn't tell her the nature of her sin either since this was her trial to pass or fail. Failure to prevent herself from committing her sin meant eternal banishment from the Bright Halls in a in the lowly metaphysical body she inhabited. Only it would be as undying as the void itself, doomed to suffer for all of time and yet never grow until time and dimension itself ceased to be.

Still her trial would have been pointless if she could simply erase any who stood in her path from existence with a thought. So the Bright Kami had bound her into a lowly metaphysical form with chains of light and bound her power with ruins etched upon her flesh. (4) Those ruins bound her power nearly completely so she was at her absolute weakest, the strength of when she mortal. Only when she shared her chains and binds with a mortal such as the Six Path Sage could even a fraction of her godly powers be unleashed as she did when she bonded with Six Path Sage to defeat the Jūbi. Still to think the Sage would use her weakened state against her to steal the absolute weakest and most diluted form of her eyes and body was an insult unrivaled. (5) Still she as a godly being could not fault mortals for being what they were. Even if she wished to taste her power once more and agreed to help him fight that Greater Demon known as the Jūbi she should have not have looked past the fact that the Sage was a mortal, of a dark world no less. Still having her heart and love betrayal on such a level had reminded her of differences between mortals and gods and allowed her to experience a rare pain far more potent than any wound or injury she had ever bore. It was a harsh lesson, made all the more because the Bright Kami had warned her to protect her heart against the impure love of mortal beings before she had banished her. Still the pain helped her grow farther and become more than what she was so she spared the mortal for the experience. Of course she cursed all in his line who dared to bare her eyes with the curse of hatred and all who had the strength of her body to share in that curse. The only way to break either curse was to accept it as part of them and overcome it with the strength of will. This assured that only those with the capacity to grow strong would survive and continue the curse until the Sages line ended.

Still as the goddess approached the dimension her new vessel resided in she noticed that two dimensions were being drawn dangerously close to each other. It was such a rare occurrence to witness naturally even for gods that she paused to watch. She knew that either the dimensions would combine and create a new reality or they would be too different and destroy each other which would unleash a form of energy that she personally found irresistible. A metaphysical type of particle that some had come to call Reiatsu, these types of particles could carry the echoes of grief, melancholy, and the darkest despair along with the bittersweet experience of failed love. She was considered a fledgling god after all and the sorts of acute spiritual anguish could help her grow by inflicting it on herself. (6) However as she watched the dimensions getting closer together she sensed a buildup of Reiatsu whose aura was tangible to even her. Then before her very eyes all the energy was unleashed upon the other dimension and obliterated it as well as all the Reiatsu that it held. She absently noticed a few insignificant sources of Reiatsu crossing over to the other dimension before it imploded on itself, taking all the precious Reiatsu with it.

Her own blazing red eyes widened in disbelief and outrage. The power to destroy dimensions belonged to the tier of gods alone; mortals were far too irresponsible with that sort of power. Her eyes narrowed even as time itself began to warp and rend around her from the force of her rage. This insolence couldn't go unpunished, even a banished goddess such as herself could temporarily remove her own shackles to correct such a server breach. It was forbidden to do so actually and could land her in as much trouble as her original sin which she had yet to commit. She briefly entertained the likely-hood that this was the sin that would truly banish her from the Bright Halls.

On one hand if this was not her original sin then it could be considered a separate offense and be dealt with later. On the other hand if this was the supposed original sin she had sent herself back to stop herself from committing then it would end in a paradox. The Bright Kami wouldn't give her the chance to absolve her sin and risk true banishment if it was impossible. If that had been the case then the Bright Kami would have simply merited her original punishment of 1000 years banished to the mortal plane in an undying body. At the same time the Bright Kami had ordered any banished god to remove their restraints to correct such a situation no matter the risk of possible personal punishment. However the plan the Bright Kami had for her vessel to redeem herself also complicated matters. The Bright Kami's ultimate decree to prevent the rise of the entity that even the Bright Kami couldn't destroy was said to be tied closely to her future vessel. It was also the main condition of her sin being amended, to choose a vessel that was incorruptible and couldn't be swayed by the dark entity. Still Azure ultimately dismissed the line of thought as highly improbable and to trust in the faith of the Bright Kami. A dangerously mortal mentality since blind faith lad to fanatics but not necessarily unheard of from young gods; considering that she had only ascended a few hundred thousand years ago she was actually considered a newborn amongst the gods. Their concept of even a day encompassed all the living days of the world of men.

With her mind made up she turned her senses inward to the chains of light which bound her soul and the ruins etched on her flesh. She simply flexed her metaphysical form which shattered the chains of light and cast off the ruins which bound her into a form of flesh. In an instant she became omniscient and omnipotent, all things in existence were laid bare before her sight and all things in creation were subjugated by her power. Her very existence became a concept of an idea, an omnipresent force that none could deny. In this form Azure as a physical being ceased to exist and she became an effect of existence, a law of physics whose presence extended throughout all of time and space. It was the absolute pentacle of her existence in this realms reality of truth. It was also the absolute weakest existence of her transcend existence. Still in this state no being on this level of existence could challenge her power except another god. So it was with the most supreme confidence that she focused her attention on the point in time when the beam of Reiatsu was fired.

To her mind eye the past, present, and future of the dimension the blast came from was revealed. All the secrets it held and all the turbulent and peaceful times were laid bare before her omniscient sight. What she saw was truly intriguing, an entire race of spiritual beings that existed on a higher level of being than their own mortals ruled a plan of existence known as Seireitei. A Feudal Monarchy/Oligarchy society ruled by a being known as the Spirit King, these beings were actually arrogant enough to call themselves gods of death even though they existed on the same plane of existence. They were definitely not the personifications of the existence known as death, nor were they omnipotent or omniscient beings. The only thing that came even remotely close to the tier of godly power was objects in the possession of their Royal Line.

It was an insult to her and the gods of the Bright Halls that these Shinigami dared to proclaim themselves as such. However for any being that dared to have the arrogance to proclaim power greater than the Bright Kami was the most atrocious sin among the true gods. However trying to punish them for their arrogance would be admitting that they were on a level of her brethren; a sin in itself since a god couldn't punish mortals for their ignorance no matter how much they deluded themselves in their sense of grandeur. Still Azure decided that she would leave the matter to the Bright Kami to decide. It was not her place to question her rule. Still when her vessel was powerful enough she would come to this realm and show these arrogant, ignorant beings what a true god was.

Before Azure could do anything…unwise, she felt her omniscient and omnipotent form once again being forced into the confines of a lowly metaphysical existence. The seal that had been temporarily removed from her soul began to once again confine her form. However Azure sensed that something was very wrong. When she had first been bound by the chains of light and her omniscient and omnipotent form redefined into a mortal existence by the seal placed by the Bright Kami there had only been a mild discomfort and a little confusion. It did after all take a little bit of time to adapt from seeing the history of all things in existence in her sight to being confined to a relatively narrow perception of time and space. Still the pain of the binding this time was so intense and acute that both her physical and spiritual being withered in agony. It was the greatest form of agony she had ever experienced in her existence as a godly being. The pain of essentially having her entire existence constricted once more and redefined into bone, blood, nerves and flesh was ten times worse than any pain she had ever even conceived. The chocked scream that was torn from her throat held such agony, pain, and perverse ecstasy that it actually created a dimension that held nothing but those turbulent emotions.

The Bright Kami must not have wanted Azure deriving any form of satisfaction from her torment because chains of solidified light with a black glow and spear tips at the end burst through the veil of existence. They stabbed their cruelly bladed tips into her flesh even as they seared their way into her physical and spiritual being. Each spear tipped chain seeking out what equated to a tenketsu on her body. Even for Azure who essentially lived for pain it was simply too much, it was far worse than all her previous pain. Existence itself distorted from the levels of physical and emotional anguish as Azure's very mind cracked and threatened to shatter under the onslaught of torment. Her soul fractured from the stress while her physical body died over and over again even as her tolerance for pain increased allowing a higher threshold of before death tried to claim her again. She could do little more than curl herself into a ball in the most primal of instinct to present a smaller target as the pain increased to levels that she had not thought to exist.

It was a punishment the Bright Kami only visited upon those gods who truly went against her will. The chains of silver light that were used to bind her before only caused a small amount of discomfort and only had blades points on the attacking side. Similarly the silver glow connected the god who was bound to them to Bright Kami and allowed the god to draw on the Bright Kami's power. However the chains of Black Light completely shattered that connection as well as the connection all gads had to the Bright Halls, the scared place which allowed them to assume an omnipotent and omniscient form. It was true banishment in the most absolute sense of the word. In essence she had lost her status as a god and was now truly banished from the Bright Halls. She had discovered her sin too late but it wouldn't have matter even if she had known it; if she had not ascended to a higher plane of existence to see into the history of the dimension than she would have broken the Bright Kami's law and received the same punishment. This was the source of the worst pain she would ever experience. A betrayal of the most deepest and intimate of bonds, stronger than any relationship and deeper than any love mortal could comprehend. She realized for the first time the true pain of a godly being, the ultimate obliterator of thought and emotion; the betrayal of one's own god.

For four years in the eyes of a god, Azure would drift through the vast void in between dimensions towards her vessel. Her only comfort was the eternal void and the ever present pain. Her last thought being the assured knowledge that no matter how much time past her mind would never break and deliver her to oblivion. That no matter how much her spirit endured it would never shatter and deliver her to deaths cold embrace. Her mind was still that of a god and as such would never break no matter how much abuse it received for there was no intellect greater than that of a god. At the same time a god could never be delivered from suffering on the white horse of death. Gods existed on the plan of immorality and so would never again know death for they already existed beyond it. Even the purest manifestation of death would not be able to reach the level of existence gods resided in anymore than a wolf trying to touch the sun. Even if a god desired deaths touch, death itself would burn in the brilliance of their existence, so high was the plan of a god's power. Azure mortal body may not have been that of a god any longer but her body was just as undying, for the will of the Bright Kami would never allow her to die. She was still susceptible to injury and eve death for a few scant moments before she would be revived by the will of the Bright Kami, for she had been cursed to an undying existence.

**XXX-Present Time, a few minutes ago-XXX**

In a white room buried under a tower in the forest of death used to host the second stage of the Chūnin exams a small body laid on a steel medical table. The room itself was more akin to a multi chambered house, all painted white like the last room the child was moved too. All other medic-nin who was involved essentially lived here as well as a squad of ANBU. The walls were made of nearly a foot of solid steel reinforced with seals to resist acid damage just in case there was another incident. There were many other medics, all who were assigned to take turns monitoring the child's condition at all times of the day while the head medic Fumio Yashiro spearheaded the entire operation. The child's name was Naruto Uzumaki, the reportedly last of the Uzumaki Clan.

The child in question had undergone unique mutations and had developed abilities similar to Bloodline abilities. Unfortunately most of these mutations and developments were mostly inhibited by one of the first mutations the child had developed. This mutation was a highly acidic chemical composition throughout the body but most prominently expressed in the blood. This stumped many of the greatest minds in the field of chemistry since some of the chemical components being incorporated were either completely new or thought to have been impossible to manufacture biologically. Still the most recent development was one of the most starling and curious. Naruto had been rendered completely genderless; he/she lacked any form of reproductive organ, male or female.

Currently the child in question had been rendered unconscious from the stress of the mutation that had affected his entire body but most noticeably the eyes. The child had been clothed in only a thin white Kimono that could be easily removed if there was an emergency. The only other occupant in the room was a man dressed in garb for a medic-nin; he was sitting in front a set of unique computers that used Fūinjutsu to function instead of electronic components. The man was facing the child and looking for any signs that would indicate either consciousness or any traces of a red glow. He wasn't taking any chances when it came to the child, the kind of gruesome death that waited should the groves on the boys skin glow red wasn't something he ever wanted to experience. It had been hardly an hour and a half since the end of the last unexpected mutation and until he was sure that there wouldn't be an incident he wasn't going to let down his guard. He had already sent for Jiraiya who had promised to stay close to Konoha in case there was another episode. He didn't want to interrupt the Sandaime unless it was absolutely necessary even if the Kage seemed to be the only thing capable of calming the subjects 'fits'.

**XXX-With Naruto-XXX**

Naruto lay on his metal bed exhausted from the most recent mutation. The ever-present pain caused by his body eating itself and repairing itself constantly was something he had long gotten accustomed to and come to accept as an anchor of normalcy and stability through the constant mutations. Still the physical pain was nothing in comparison to the pain of the loneliness and isolation. Like any other healthy human he desired contact with other humans more than any other material possession. He wanted friends, a family, and to play all day in the sun. He had many memories of the sun and the sky from the source. He sometimes closed his eyes and imagined himself in the place of the one living those memories. However he knew that it was a dream and would possibly always be one as long as he couldn't control his bodies' automatic defense. It wasn't as bad as it absolutely could be though, he could sometimes convince one of the medics to engage in a discussion on the various theories and applications of liquid to air poisons. Of course he had to compensate for the time dilation between them; to him the world was in a constant state of slow motion. It did some very strange things to sound and while waiting for the person to finish speaking left him bored and made him seem indifferent to everything.

In truth he had been a hyperactive, exuberant, inattentive, and impatient person. He was also highly empathic, charismatic, curious, and naturally inquisitive. He was also relatively simple and had trouble comprehending any specific principle or situation. However being subjected to the mutations and the dilation in time had forced him to adapt. To keep his sanity he focused his hyperactive energy into constructive exercises with all his usual exuberance and dedication. He forced himself to pay attention to his surroundings and challenge himself by trying to recall even the smallest details of his surroundings while keeping a track on where everything was in his minds eyes. This unintentionally made him to develop extreme environmental and spatial awareness which was augmented by his perfect Sage modes ability to sense chakra. He forced himself to memorize and recall everything he read or heard and then recall it with clarity perfectly, unintentionally training his mind to develop eidetic memory and recall. All this forced him to learn patience, something that his mentality rebelled against more than anything else he had done before since it went directly against his personality. What was even harder thought was teaching himself to ask questions to figure out a situation he as unfamiliar with or to figure out a principle that eluded him. He was actually still having trouble with that one but nowhere near as much as he did in the beginning. Instead of trying to resist or ignore the ever-present pain he embraced it. He used it to strengthen and sharpen his mind as well to keep himself in a state of hyperawareness. All this was done in the time period of perhaps a few weeks when viewed in the normal perception of time but for Naruto it had been months. This had been when he was first capable of conscious thought and understood what was going on around him. Still this massive time dilation made it hard to show emotion since he felt them faster than his facial muscles could translate them into movement. Because of this he had to actually force his muscles to move n the proper way which made all his emotions come off as fake or jaded which discouraged the mass of the people he interacted with even though they also knew that he was in a different time dilation.

Lately however when the latest mutation gave him the dōjutsu Fumio was temporarily calling the Kyūtengan; he had been introduced to a entirely new dimension of pain. His heart ached in a way that he had never before felt. The 'Source' told him that the pain came from a betrayal of the one closest to him. However the Sandaime couldn't betray him because there was nothing to betray. Normally he simply sat on his metal bed reading scrolls on mater, the chemical compositions of various plants and poisons while Fumio ran tests on him. Fumio said that the tests were to try to find a cure for his acidic blood and for a way to stop the mutations. He was simply glad that the tests weren't painful.

Still ever since he had developed the Kyūtengan he had been able to see things that he never could before. He still retained his ability to sense chakra from his Sage Mode but it was magnified to the point that he was able to discern if someone was not among a crowd by chakra alone. His chakra senses were also sensitive enough to pick up chakra from long distances, and notice changes in an individual's chakra. He found that he could even use his chakra sensing ability to determine if someone is lying by the fluctuations in that person's chakra made from dishonest emotions. However that was the extent of the knowledge that he was able to gleam from Fumio as he was testing his limits.

Still despite all these powers and abilities he only had one goal in life, yet its difficulty lay in its simplicity. It was the only way to ensure that the people he wished to play with in the sun would be protected even after he was gone. It was also something the source had asked him to do and since it had never asked for anything before he decided to seriously go at the problem. This one wish was to teach this unforgiving what it meant to forgive and in doing so break the chain of hatred that was consuming the shinobi world. It was one of the two solutions he had come up to stop all the hatred and death. The other solution he had come up with was based on the idea of mutually assured destruction. However that would simply increase the levels of hatred and while it would create short periods of peace in the chain of hatred the death toll when the eventual battle was fought would be nearly beyond imagination. It would definitely do far more harm then good. However that was not the only problem in the world of shinobi, it was only the most dire and immediate problem. An equally important but less urgent problem was that if the nations ever learnt to forgive then it would be an inevitable fact that the nations would unite under one banner to prevent a relapse into a violent history. When that happened there would be no other power to keep the shinobi in check and stop them from abusing their power or falling to corruption. Currently the only forces capable of matching a shinobi nation were the Samurai of the land of Iron lead by General Mifune. The 'Source' also told him about another people who harnessed the power of something called Gele that inhabited the Temujin Continent. However he was hesitant to bring together trinity of superpowers since two could conspire against the third. What he needed was a fourth power in the mix to even the balance of power in the world. However neither he nor the 'Source' knew of a fourth unaffiliated power and thus his conundrum.

Naruto shook himself out of his contemplation; he reminded himself that before he could even think about that problem he first had to break the chains of hatred which was a far more urgent and pressing matter. He already had an idea to get the various shinobi villages to learn forgive but in order for it to work he had to avoid being affiliated with any shinobi village, especially Konoha. That part would be easy enough since he had never sworn an oath to Konoha or its Kage and was not a shinobi. For that reason by the law of the Fire Daimyo and the Council of Fire the Sandaime officially couldn't legally stop him from leaving the village. Theoretically he could walk right out of the front gates and legally the Sandaime couldn't do anything about it. However the complication that sprang up with that theory was that this was shinobi village, the Sandaime could and would try to stop him from leaving and say that his reason was that Naruto to simply too dangerous to allow to go free because he was a unstable Jinchūriki. However he also knew that the only ones capable of even attempting to stop him and hope to live through it until he was swarmed with numbers were the Sandaime and Jiraiya. It was also for that reason that he was hesitant about leaving; he had a deep bond with the Sandaime and didn't want to hurt him. He had also formed a bond with Jiraiya but on a much shallower level than the Sandaime.

As he was contemplating his situation while trying to ignore the unexplained emotional turmoil, he noticed that the despair and heartache that had taken root in his heart were becoming more intense and acute the more he ignored them. He wondered briefly if the emotional instability was caused by an adjustment of hormones in response to his change in gender or the lack of there for or if it was a result of a new mutation in his brain. With that in mind he glanced at the groves engraved on his skin but the blue glow that signaled a mutation were absent. However he did noticed the groves themselves had taken on a burnished golden pigment with a thin red pigment at the groves center bisecting them perfectly. They were not glowing yet but the simple fact that his groves had changed were a cause for worry. He was proven correct then he noticed the air above the groves shimmering as if they were generating incredible heat, yet he didn't even feel warm. He considered that perhaps his affinity for fire was protecting him from the heat, a theory which was supported by the fact that his white kimono was being blacked around the areas of his groves as the heat began to cauterize the cloth. When his white kimono was burnt off completely and the steel medical table he lay on was cherry red he decided that it was definitely his fire affinity that was protecting him. However he also noted that the bone deep pain that was eternally with him since before he could remember was beginning to lessen. Surprisingly he felt more concerned over the thought of the pain leaving than anything else, the reason being that the pain was a anchor of stability and normalcy throughout all the mutations and experimentations.

Just as Naruto had this realization he noticed that Fumio had left the room at some point and that the emergency siren was blaring. As the pain left him completely Naruto became light headed and disoriented, then before he could recover his vision went static for an instant and white noise replaced the shrill cry of the siren. The instant his vision refocused the white noise was redefined into a frequency of sound that was beyond his understanding to comprehend. While this was happening he realized that he was in a different place, however his eyes couldn't translate what they were seeing into thought. The entire thing was giving him a monstrous headache as the stimulus kept pounding away at his mind with no end in sight. Just as he was about to scream in frustration however everything came into a sharp focus and clarity that he only ever achieved in an almost Zen state when he reached an advanced stage in meditation.

He was standing on the surface of a vast clear ocean which reflected the clear, starry night sky. The strangest thing was that he couldn't tell which way was up or down, his sense of where he was in space was distorted to the point that he couldn't tell which reflection was the real him, the illusion or the illusion on the water. However as he looked closer into the illusion he thought that he could see through it and into the oceans clear depths. At first all he could see was the impenetrable darkness of the deep waves which swallowed all light. As he peered closer he could begin to make out a deep red glow that had a menacing aura. He wondered briefly if he should try to swim down to find out what the light was while telling himself that it was a stupid thing to do. His perplexing predicament was left to be pondered later when he sensed a presence reveal itself behind him. He turned and glanced at the presence curiously and raised an eyebrow at what he saw. The presence revealed itself to be a woman-like entity unlike anything he had ever encountered; even the 'Source' had no information on this being. The woman stood an even nine feet tall with flowing golden hair. He noticed that the ends of the woman's hair ended in blue blades nearly a foot long and razor sharp. He also noticed blue quills were also tied into the woman's hair but they looked more like they were actually a part of her body. Her eyes were twin pools of bright red blood; they were hard like steel and piercing in their intensity and emitted a glow that left a neon trail with every movement. She was wreathed in an armor of golden flame whose blue corona which constantly discharged red lightning erratically. However the woman's most eye catching feature was the disinterested mild glare combined with the condescending smirk of superiority that cruelly twisted her full lips. The thing that made these details so striking was that they seemed to be only vaguely directed at him.

Naruto blinked at the strange woman and asked the first thing that came to mind. "Why are you so tall?"

The only sign the strange woman showed if any that she was caught off guard was a slight twitch of her eyebrow. When she spoke her voice her voice seemed to echo in the past and future giving off an eerie double layered tone. "My height is irrelevant mortal, for such an abstract concept can only barely be used to define my lowest state of existence. I am Azure, banished god of the Bright Halls and the last of the legacy of the Saga. Before that I believe that you wish to know why you had to go through such pain or why your body tries to destroy itself?"

Naruto nodded slowly, he was at least smart enough to let the strange woman take the lead in this conversation. "The reason is quite simple; it is simply because the powers and chakra housed in your body were meant for a being with an enlightened mind and body. Your body is enlightened but your mind has yet to achieve that state, this caused dissonance with the two aspects of your chakra, your Yin and Yang. Because of this your mind and body were at odds with each other and the Kyūbi's chakra and my energy thrown into the mix it essentially destabilized your metaphysical and physical being and caused them to enter a state of flux, where they both existed on the same plan of existence. This is the thing that caused all the problems in your body and what has weakened you so severely. However since I have chosen you to be my living avatar on this world, my presence will enlighten your mind and restore the balance."

Naruto nodded, not really sure if he completely understood her explanation or not. Still when she began speaking again he paid rapt attention. "Being my avatar on this world will mean that you give yourself completely over to me; mind, body, and spirit to do with as I please. I will show you the true purpose and meaning of pain and through pain I shall enlighten you to the truth of existence. However before that I need your willing consent, you must choose to become my avatar and make the conscious choice."

Naruto simply blinked at her explanation and asked with only the slightest traces of curiosity mixed with forbidding. "Are you Jashin?"

The goddess physically sneered at the name; the red lighting in her corona became agitated and sparked wildly and menacingly around her in apparent irritation. "Jashin is a pathetic demigod who has corrupted my teachings and dares to proclaim himself as a God to mortals. Yet he trembles in fright and hides like a sniveling coward when faced with the wrath of a true God. To compare me and my enlightenment to Jashin is one of the gravest insults one can possibly utter in my presence. You are fortunate mortal that your ignorance and importance shields you from my wrath. The next time you dare utter such blaspheme your punishment shall match your insult.

Naruto nodded hastily, he really didn't want to evoke the wrath of a vengeful god. "Thank you for your leniency, I will be sure to avoid comparing you to Jashin. I have a question though, what did you mean when you said you I was shielded by my importance?"

The goddess rage calmed, she finally returned to a placid mood before her corona of lighting quieted down. "What I meant by that was that since I was banished from the Bright Halls my powers have been sealed. I only barely had enough strength to make it this world and since I invested some of my power in you I have no choice but to choose you as my avatar. Sadly once a avatar is chosen I cannot take another for all of time unless my avatar is destroyed by the Bright Kami herself. Luckily my last vessel only shared a partnership with me and thus couldn't trap me like I have been now. I still have access to enough of my power to destroy this entire dimension if I so choose though and more than enough to carry out my threats."

Naruto nodded and decided to ask more one question before he made his ultimate choice. "Alright I have one more question, if you truly are a god then what is stopping you from simply influencing my thoughts to make me accept?"

The goddess deadpanned and said in a wary tone. "Would you bother trying to waste the effort to listen to the thoughts of an insect? That is what it would be like if I tried to influence you with my thoughts. Not only would it be pointless because my thoughts be far too complex for your mind to translate, if could in fact cause serious strain on your mind. You yourself have already experienced this when I first brought you and tried to speak with in my true form. Truthfully I had thought that your mind would be advanced enough to at least comprehend my most basic thought and emotion but you are simply too primitive. Since you have yet to achieve enlightenment through pain and so you're nearly all of your enlightened power is beyond you. Luckily for you with my presence you will be able to steadily access your power the closer you get to true enlightenment."

Naruto nodded as he got his thoughts in order. "Alright I can assume that without you my body would steadily deteriorate until I die otherwise your presence wouldn't be required. However I also have goals I wish to accomplish so if you agree to allow me to finish my goals then I will accept and do my absolute best to accomplish your tasks as long as I do not have to abandon my dreams. One of which is to break the chain of hatred that binds this world in darkness."

The goddess actually raised an eyebrow at his admittance but nodded in acceptance. "Your goals and dream are inconsequential as long as you are willing to teach others to reach the true enlightenment of pain. Other than that I do not care what you do."

Naruto nodded relieved before he nodded in acceptance. "Then as of this moment I consciously and willing choose to accept you as my goddess and to give all of myself up to you."

The goddess suddenly grinned fiercely and before he could do anything Naruto was cast back into his body from the Sealscape and wouldn't wake up until the next day.

**XXX-With the Sandaime-XXX**

Hiruzen Sarutobi was an aged man, by all rights he should have been retired and living a relaxing life reading old ninjutsu scrolls and making his own for his own family while his successor handled the duties of Hokage. Sadly, in the ninja world things rarely worked out the way one planned, innovation and adaptation were focused on in the academy for a reason after all. Still the point was that he was getting tired, he was beginning to notice the pain of arthritis in his fingers and joints while his old bones ached with age. Still, as he was approving a mission report from one of his newly promoted Chūnin named Iruka; Sarutobi reflected that he still wasn't old enough to miss the incoming ANBU signature Shunshin inbound for his office. He finished signing the report and sprinkled sand to help dry the ink before putting it in his out pile. Just in time for ANBU who appeared with the customary swirl of leaves, a signature of the Konoha Shunshin.

The ANBU handed him two scrolls, one baring Fumio's personal medical sigil and the other the hospital's seal. He took them with care and with a glance dismissed the ANBU with a glance, who again initiated the Konoha Shunshin, taking the leaves scattered in his office with him. He slowly got up and closed the blinds to his office and when he sat back down again put his hand under his desk to activate a seal the Yondaime had installed before his demise. It was essentially the closest thing to a 'privacy seal' anyone had ever been talented enough to make, discounting the Uzumaki Clan. The seal array actually covered the entire room, preventing air from escaping while sealing carbon dioxide and unsealing a equal amount of air in a steady amount as necessary. The walls, floor, and ceiling of the office were already sound proof and strengthened with seals. All in all it was an actual privacy seal…well it really wasn't all that great unless you understood how difficult the art of sealing itself was.

He opened the scroll with Fumio's personal sigil first to see that it was encoded in a special code only he and Fumio knew how to decipher. Still he knew the code so well by now that he didn't even bother decoding it and simply read it as it was. He was intrigued as he read what basically amounted to a summary which explained his theory that all the major mutations that had so far occurred were all preparing Naruto for…something. Still after that was an even more intriguing description of the newest mutation to occur. This one seemed to transform the bioelectrical signals of the brain into something akin to lightning natured chakra and the brain itself gaining an innate ability to absorb and channel chakra to enhance its function.

What really grabbed his attention though was a sketch of what appeared to be a tripled layered Sharingan. Underneath it were notes that informed of him of what this strange new Dōjutsu could do. Apparently when the strange Dōjutsu first developed it originally had the nine tomoe seen in the sketch. However when the mutation process was finished and the groves on Naruto's skin died down the six outermost tomoe's bleed away leaving only the three tomoe's closets to the pupil. Fumio suspected that this Dōjutsu wasn't like the Sharingan and so had run a battery of tests to figure out what it did. The first thing he discovered was the Dōjutsu seemed to grant Naruto an unparalleled affinity towards fire. He claimed that, in itself, could classify as a separate Bloodline Limit. Sarutobi noted with some amusement that the head doctor actually added a mini-rant posing a theory that Naruto could actually walk into a bone fire and only get a little warm. This seemingly innate ability also manifested in the fact that Naruto's core body temperature had risen by at least 12 degrees making him hot to the touch. If that wasn't amazing enough it also seemed that the strange Dōjutsu granted Naruto minor telekinetic capabilities that didn't even seem to rely or focus on chakra.

Fumio gave a detailed account of the time he looked into Naruto's eyes when the mutation was first developing. He claimed that the Dōjutsu itself seemed to continuously imprint hypnotic suggestions even when Naruto himself was doing nothing or unconscious. Fumio suspected the Dōjutsu itself was somehow sentient and was capable of imprinting suggestions that could imprint anything from ignoring Naruto himself to convincing the body it couldn't breathe. It was a terrifying ability that was made even more so by the fact that Naruto didn't even seem to have to be aware of it or even focus on it for it to work. However Fumio claimed to have been able to overcome the suggestions by a combination of will reinforced by the assured knowledge that something like that might happen. Still even then he claimed that it still took a bit of effort to ignore the suggestions.

Sarutobi looked over the scroll thrice to be sure he hadn't missed anything before finally opening the scroll with the hospital's seal on it. Unlike Fumio's personal encrypted scroll which held top secret knowledge of Naruto's mutation and what they did. The scroll with the hospital's seal however had information that while also classified would be obvious to figure out just by looking at Naruto himself. Such as the groves on his skin which also outlined the Shiki Fūin marking Naruto as a Jinchūriki or that his eyes had an eerie glow whose otherworldly light made even him cautious every time he laid eyes on them. Still despite this he was not totally prepared for what the scroll had written inside.

'_At exactly 12:00 pm, an hour after Naruto developed a doujutsu which I have temporarily decided to name the Kyūtengan. The name of the Dōjutsu is in reference to the Kyūbi itself and the nine tomoe's the Dōjutsu had when it first developed. This will probably not be the official name since it is either yours or Naruto's to decide. Almost immediately after the Kyūtengan developed all but the three innermost tomoe's bleed away and Naruto began to enter another mutation right after it. Since then the unknown energy which bonded to the Kyūbi's chakra and has been steadily increasing in frightening amounts all month long, has finally achieved a state of equilibrium with the Kyūbi's chakra. I have been monitoring Naruto intensively since the equilibrium was achieved and have been running off Hyōrōgan. The mutation had all the characteristics of a normal mutation and so we continued observations but called in the fastest of the ANBU guards with orders to pull us out the moment there was even a hint of red in the groves. "_

"_The mutation this time originated in his genome and actually worked its way up all the way up to complex structures such as the bones and even the brain. I still don't understand what happened but from what I could get from the other medics there was a shift somewhere in the chemical composition of Naruto's entire body. The mutation appeared to line up something in Naruto's chemical structure which actually made Naruto's body much more tolerant to his own acidic blood and in turn allowed his body to heal itself at a rate which left his body at 5% operational capacity instead of 1%. As a consequence his very skin has gained an almost metallic texture as well as properties of his own acidic blood. Even touching him now will induce minor burning. However most alarming effect of the mutation has resulted in penile and testicular agenesis, this has effectively rendering Naruto genderless in the most literal sense of the word. I was worried that this would cause major problems with Naruto's urinary bladder but my concerns turned out to be unfounded. The mutation has also done something to the kidneys and essentially recreated them into a far more advanced organ which I currently have no comparison to. It seems that this new organ separates the ammonia and other impurities from the urine and somehow converts it into a component in the blood. The left over contaminates are somehow converted into raw chakra to be absorbed by the body. The same thing happened to Naruto's digestive tract. That was much as I could understand from my scans and even then I have no idea how it works or the mechanics behind it. Although I think it may be a similar in nature to the effect consuming the Akimichi three colored Hyōrōgan Pills produce. It would explain why Naruto's blood is so…toxic. Some have suggested that this could lead to a discovery of a cure, however I do not have hope of it working since Naruto's body seems to have accepted his current blood type as 'normal'. Even if a cure could be found the body would simply regenerate the 'damaged' blood."_

"_It has been two hours since the ending of the unexpected mutation and Jiraiya has come to check up on the Shiki Fūin. His arrival seems to have agitated Naruto somehow and his groves have turned golden, something we have never seen before. All Fūinjutsu that lack a human source of chakra have been disabled a by a golden flare and Naruto's blood defense has activated for an unknown reason. It is not attacking us but we request your presence immediately._"

The Sandaime's eyes widened, he immediately deactivated the security seal and shoot to the nearest window while initiating a Konoha Shunshin. His four ANBU guards were already following him when the window shut before racing towards Naruto's location at speeds that the eye couldn't follow. Like wraiths in the nigh, his ANBU guards ghosted their way by his side as they speed towards the Forest of Death. Hiruzen and two other ANBU from the Yamanaka Clan took note of a fifth shadow trailing them. The moment it was noticed it began to fluctuate it's chakra in the pattern standard for an ANBU agent. However they all noticed that it didn't have a specialized marker indicating who it was. Considering that Hiruzen himself authorized each marker when a shinobi was brought into ANBU and finished their first mission, the circumstances suggested that either the tail was a rookie ANBU just brought into the fold or a very good infiltrator. Since a new ANBU recruit would know to stay at the ANBU headquarters unless assigned a mission or off duty the probability of a spy was high but the possibility of a overeager ANBU was not totally there. Still Hiruzen was not willing to risk Naruto's security, he decided it was better to be safe than sorry. Hiruzen created a seal-less Kage-Bunshin directly in front of the path of the tail and while the tail was distracted by the smoke his Kage-Bunshin knocked out the tail. One of his guard details split off and took the tail to the ANBU detail to be interrogated. None of the three remaining ANBU even looked back or slowed down.

**XXX-In a Undisclosed Location-XXX**

Fu released his mind possession technique just before the shinobi he was controlling was knocked unconscious by the Sandaime himself. At the same time altering the rookie ANBU's memory to cover his tracks in a way that only another master of his clan techniques such as Inoichi would be able to detect. He quickly initiated a Konoha Shunshin to get out of the area just in case one of the Yamanaka ANBU had sensed him and tracked him here, an extremely low probability but still not impossible. The moment he appeared in the signature swirl of leaves in the designated area, his partner Torune, an Aburame with specialized nano-sized venomous insects also appeared in a similar Shunshin with copies of the two scrolls Hiruzen had left in his office. The two didn't so much as glance at each other as they both took off without the aid of chakra; they couldn't afford to be tracked to where they were going. When they both reached the drop off point, the Konoha Public library, only Torune entered. He sealed both scrolls in a book with a special holding seal inscribed on the cover with a special ink. The ink was colorless while the seal itself would only react to Danzō's chakra. When Torune exited both Fu and Torune speed off again in separate directions, when they got more than 5000 feet away from each other they slowed down to casual walk and melted seamlessly into the crowds of civilians, their operation a success.

**XXX-With the Sandaime-XXX**

The Sandaime and his guard reached the tower at the center of the Forest of Death in very little time. They immediately went to the basement and went to the back of the room before the Sandaime glanced at a cat masked ANBU who nodded. Hands blurring threw a set of seals nearly too fast for anyone but the Sandaime to make out clearly, the cat masked ANBU slammed his hands into the basement wall with both hands. In a blink a spiral of Fūinjutsu characters spread from the ANBU's hands before erupting into a cloud of smoke. It was cleared by a discrete application of wind natured chakra from a monkey masked ANBU before they once again hurried down the cell Naruto was in. Because of the speed they were going at most of the ANBU only caught sight of walls of root and dirt as they passed but it was impossible to miss the smell of old blood and the stink of fear. As it was the Sandaime himself only caught sight of a set of glowing green eyes before they reached Naruto's compound. Not even bothering with the Key to the Fūinjutsu on the door the Sandaime simply punched hard enough for the steel to crumple around his fist and blast the door off its hinges. The sight that awaited him was something that he had only imagined in his worst nightmares and only entertained in his darkest thoughts.

Standing on the stainless steel medical table was Naruto. He was standing up right and floating nearly a foot off the ground, the medical robe that had been issued him had been burnt into ash. His eyes were glowing golden red; the reported Dōjutsu was still there only with the tomoe's reported still there. The groves on his skin were glowing golden with an eerie red light at their center. His body was breathed in golden red flames with a corona of red lighting with black cores discharging into the air around him. 3 ethereal tails swayed behind the boy made of the same golden red flames. The air around him felt heavy and dense, he could see that some of his ANBU were having trouble breathing. Strangely the Sandaime could sense Naruto's chakra, or to be more precise it felt more like a…shadow of chakra?

The aura of Naruto's chakra was actually painful trying to decipher. Normally an aura of one's chakra only consisted of three components. The first and foremost component was created by a combination of the nature of one's soul superimposing itself on the metaphysical plan and the core emotions and ideals that made ones personality and dictated how they act. His one time student Orochimaru had actually created a brilliant jutsu based on those principles. Orochimaru had actually discovered a way to allow others to perceive aspects of his own soul which magnified his killer intent to such a level that it was actually mislabeled as a genjutsu. These principles were also how the Yamanaka clan utilized some of their most powerful jutsu. (1) The second component of chakra aura was chakra itself which was split into two parts; Yin and Yang natured chakra. It was the Yang chakra, which made up the physical aspects of chakra, which allowed one to judge the vitality, heath, and strength of the body. However it was the Yin natured chakra, the spiritual aspect of chakra, which allowed one to judge the strength, power, and purity of one's total chakra. When these two energies were mixed together inside the body it created a metaphysical substance which shinobi knew as chakra; it was this metaphysical substance that allowed shinobi and the Samurai of Iron Country to perform inhuman feats that became known jutsu and sword techniques, respectfully. The third and last component of a chakra's aura could be best described as the metaphysical plan ones chakra existed in which in itself was hard to understand for most. Most shinobi had chakra that was grounded in this plane of existence and whose chakra could reach partway into the metaphysical plan. Still even that gave the shinobi the ability to control the elements, bend space, time, and dimension to their will and for the best to even control a metaphysical element such as gravity or even the chakra of nature. The prime examples of this were clans such as the Uchiha, Senju, or Uzumaki clans whose chakra existed on a higher metaphysical plan than any other normal Shinobi's naturally.

So with this knowledge he could say for a fact that what he felt from Naruto was…confusing at best. Naruto's own chakra was unlike anything he had ever even imagined. The first aspect of Naruto's chakra aura, the soul and essentially the personality, was incredibly hard to feel on its own. However when he could sense it the aura it gave off inspired thoughts of sacred shrines, a waterfall of rubies falling on golden shores, and the awesome aura of a thousand blades. There was also carnage, destruction, and a sense of madness so intense that Hiruzen himself actually feared looking too closely, for fear of being driven mad himself. Yet when he did feel closer for but a moment he sensed that the madness was an indescribable hunger. (2) It was the most ghastly and unnerving of sensations which even raised the hair on his old back and neck. However it was no less strange than the second aspect of Naruto's chakra aura. He could sense what he guessed was that Yang chakra first, mostly because it a kaleidoscope of powerful sensations. He could sense clearly even with Naruto's screwed up chakra aura that his vitality was surpassed everything he had ever seen short of a fully fledged Bijū. It felt as corrupted as Orochimaru's own chakra yet it gave off an aura of serenity and awe, like a corrupted shrine. Yet he could sense the body corrupted by both extremes and yet he still sensed the smallest traces of humanity left yet. The Yin chakra on the other hand he could barely sense at all, it was serene and almost heavenly yet it also had an unfathomable darkness to it. From that alone he knew that even if there was still hope to save Naruto he simply couldn't risk it…as a military leader he knew that even though there was a chance to save Naruto and in turn gain a Jinchuuriki it was not worth the risk. He refused to make the same mistake twice; Orochimaru had already shown him the error of his ways. It was not only that though, frankly the village simply couldn't afford to house a mentally imbalanced Jinchūriki like Suna did. Not only would it be drain on their man power it would also be a drain on their resources. Jinchūriki were most definitely not cheap and they had a large upkeep. Since he couldn't kill it he decided that their best option would be to seal it away.

Still it was the last component of Naruto's chakra aura that had him wary. He could barely sense Naruto's chakra even though it had to be enormous. It was like trying to sense the imprint of shadow in moonlight. It was simply impossible for a normal or even extraordinary shinobi whose chakra only reached partly into the metaphysical plan. However since he had come to understand the Shiki Fūin he had come upon a revelation that had allowed his chakra to ascend much farther into the metaphysical plan. It was only because of this that he could sense what equated to the echo of a shadow of Naruto's chakra and even just that small understanding allowed his own chakra to rise a little farther into the metaphysical plan. (3) Now that really surprised him and shocked him out of his analysis mode, his internal clock told him that it had only been 3 seconds.

The Sandaime put those thoughts out of his mind as he slowly walked closer to the hovering form of Naruto. As he got closer he noted that like his medical file had indicated Naruto was indeed genderless and his skin had taken an unnatural complexion that made him look far too much like a doll. He also noted that even though Naruto's eyes were wide open his eyes seemed to be looking at something beyond his own sight. Combined with the fact that he noticed his mouth moving at a blinding pace and he guessed that Naruto was conversing with either the Kyūbi or more than likely the thing the subjugated the Kyūbi if the nine tails of golden red flame were any indication. He had no idea how right he was or how much he would regret thinking he had to get rid of Naruto…

**XXX-With the Ame Team-XXX**

Forty miles east of Konoha on the very edge of Border Town, the last settlement that neared the borders to Amegakure; nine Konoha shinobi flew through the canopy at a moderate pace. Each shinobi was a master in their field of expertise. They had left Konoha a day in a half ago and were estimated to reach the rondevu point where they would meet their contact to get them into Ame itself. Tensions were high between all shinobi, after all Hanzō was quite arguably one of the most dangerous shinobi on the planet in generations. Only those who bore the esteemed title of Kage were his equal or the Samurai Mifune who lead Iron country.

Tsume and her nin-dog Kuromaru were the tensest out of the entire group while the budding genjutsu specialist Kurenai Yūhi was the most nervous. Shibi Aburame, Hizashi Hyūga, Shisui Uchiha, Hatake Kakashi, and Shikaku Nara were the by far the most calm. The only thing was that Shisui seemed to be slightly uncomfortable around Kakashi, possibly because of conflicting thoughts about him gaining a Sharingan through unconventional means. Inoichi Yamanka and Choza Akimichi were more along the lines of apprehensive more than anything but their faith in their legendary teamwork gave them some level of assurance. It was only the mysterious ANBU Tenzō, who apparently decided to wear his Sômen, the porcine mask which was the calling card of all ANBU. Because of this his expression was unreadable as his body language. Only the ever eccentric Might Guy was openly cheerful, though most there suspected that it was only an act to hide his apprehension and nervousness.

Only Kakashi and surprisingly Kurenai knew otherwise. Kakashi because he had known the man even when they were small and so knew that Guy was simply strange like that. Kurenai on the other hand was a genjutsu specialist, she specialized in human psychology and altering how one perceived reality. Not even the notorious Root ANBU could bury their emotions deep enough to hide from her. Unfortunately it was also because of this that she was secretly scared that Guy was actually a raging psychopath. With the power to open seven of the Celestial Gates Guy actually had the potential to kill them all before dying from either exhaustion or internal damage.

Despite these dark thoughts it only took three hours to reach the flat land which signaled the borders of Amegakure and another three hours to cover the distance and reach the revenue point. When they were a mile away they all the sensors sensed a spike in chakra in the vicinity of the meeting point. It was Kakashi however that gave the signal to be on guard and to approach with caution. It was night and even though they were only a few hours inside the border of Ame there were still in dense forest. The moonlight illuminated a clearing up ahead. All three teams took up aggressive/neutral formations as they cautiously closed in on the source of the chakra spike. When the three teams entered the clearing they saw a figure bathed in moonlight and shadow, from the figures build they could speculate that it was either a small woman or a child.

She had her back to them while in front of her was a large pile of clothing consisting of dark cloaks with a red interior and a chin high collar. Gas masks in the design of Menpô, or face masks were also there as well as some that covered the entire face. When she turned to look at them all the Konoha shinobi tensed, the woman's mouth and nose were covered by a black Menpô. A mask like Kakashi's own but made of black metal and designed to look like the grinning maw of an Oni. On her forehead was a Hitaie of black metal with the kanji for shinobi and plague carved into plate instead of a symbol for a nation. However none of that was what caught all the Shinobi's attention. The woman's eyes were the same as Hizashi's own…the eyes of the Byakugan. However there was something off about them that most of the team recognized. The eyes of the figure were active but the characteristic veins that should have been engorged with blood and chakra were absent while the woman's sclera was gray. Also from what little they could see of the woman's face, her skin was marred by painful looking cracks.

The figure glanced once at Hizashi before turning to Kakashi and asked with a rather bored tone of voice. "You are late by a full thirty seconds, however I suppose it's unavoidable since the last Hatake is the one leading the group. Get dressed in the cloths and equipment provided. You can go ahead and just put them over your own cloths, if you have any questions about the mission now is the time to ask."

It was unsurprisingly Hizashi who recovered first; he took a single threatening step forward before Kakashi put a hand on his shoulder to stop him. Kakashi turned to the small woman and asked with a deceptively nonchalant air. "Those are beautiful eyes; did you happen to have parents from the Hyūga clan?"

The small woman nodded slightly, not the least bit bothered by Hizashi's threatening actions. "You could say that but I doubt you would ever find even the most inconsequential record of my birth or heritage. I am not exactly from around here, my master simply wished to prevent a potential disaster from occurring with the last bearer of the Reinngan."

All the gathered shinobi eyes widened at this, the Reinngan was supposedly the third legendary Dōjutsu wielded by the Sixth Path Sage himself. Before any of them could commit on it the small woman raised a hand to silence them before they even began. "If you doubt my word than you do not have to believe me. I am simply completing this assignment issued by my master; I personally do not care what happens to this world. Anyway when any of you have a question that I have not answered already then ask them, if not then please suit up."

Hizashi, finally no longer being to take it any longer shrugged off Kakashi's hand and glared at the small woman. She raised a delicate eyebrow back at him before she sighed in something approaching exasperation. "Ah, I see how it is. You are jealous that I have freedom and you do not but are trying to cover it with your loyalty to the Hyūga clan. You have no idea how much I wish I had your fate and you had mine, still if you feel that you must capture me to bring back to your clan then either wait until the mission is over or attempt it now. However I feel I must warn you that my master did not send me on this mission unprepared for any possible threat. If you try anything than I will shut the bars of your cage and force you to wallow in agony until death."

Hizashi glare increased while most others who were not Jōnin or ANBU looked confused. However Hizashi finally backed down and the small woman nodded once before turning again to Kakashi who was looking at her blankly. The small woman motioned towards the stack of cloths again; Kakashi sighed and moved forward to put them on. The other shinobi followed Kakashi's example. There also turned out to be Umbrellas and straw conical hats with metal headband with the Ame sigil engraved into it were also piled on. Most of the shinobi cringed when Might Guy began to praise the Ame Shinobi's youthful clothing and tried to encourage them to wear his green spandex uniform when they got back to Konoha. Needless to say he was ruthlessly ignored as the other shinobi tried to pretend that he didn't exist. The last two articles of clothing consisted of a Tobi socks and standard ninja sandals

When the shinobi were dressed the small woman nodded before turning to Tsume's nin-dog and pointing to the leaf Hitaie it wore before shaking her head. Tsume frowned but reached down and removed a metal Ame plate from one of the hats and placed it over the metal Konoha emblem. Kuromaru kept it on using one of the most basic of chakra control exercises. The small woman finally nodded in acceptance before pointing to the gas masks. "You need those masks to protect you from the poisons that Hanzō so loves to employ. Without them death is certain."

At this point the usually reserved Asuma frowned and asked, "If that is so than why do you not wear such a mask?"

The small woman pointed her Menpô. "This has a gas filtration unit built in as well as several other handy gadgets so I do not need the gas mask. Anyway my cover here has already been established here, I have already become a well known figure in Amegakure as an apprentice blacksmith. I have never been observed using chakra and have always kept it hidden since I got here and have never shown any suspicious activity. Today was the first time I used my chakra in almost a year which was too activate me eyes. Most simply assume I am blind instead of a Hyūga since I have never given any indication to think otherwise. I have always displayed the usual characteristics one would expect from a visually impaired person. My sole purpose for this was to infiltrate Ame and get you into it alive and unnoticed. The uniform you wear is the regalia of the official Ame government resistance which is currently lead by Yahiko, the Leader of the Akatsuki. You are to escort me into Ame itself which is split up into two divisions, I have been summoned by Hanzō and Yahiko to procure a shipment of Kunai, Fūma Shuriken, and exploding tags which is the truth. The guards at the gate have been notified and will let me in along with you since you will officially be agents of Hanzō. The only difference is that I have already neutralized the original team whose mission is to take me into Ame. Because of this you will not be questioned or asked to report in until the official end of the mission. At that point I will get rid of the tail which is sure to follow me while you make your way to the true client. The client is a woman named Konan who will give you further direction from there. If you perform to my master's expectations then the bonus will be added as promised and he will contact you with more equally well paying missions. Are there any questions?"

The silence that greeted the woman was all she needed before she reached into her robe and pulled out two scrolls with the inscription for B painted on them. The woman held out the right one first. "This holds the official request Hanzō has sent me and contains the promised shipment which you will deliver. Unlike my usual products these weapons are flawed to the extreme while keeping the outward appearance of an excellent quality product. The other scroll has the true mission from my master as well as the same shipment of equipment that really is my top work. You will give the left scroll to Konan who will give it to her leader. You will wait in a detention facility until the time comes to go on the mission. I must tell you now that while my master does not expect you to kill Hanzō he does wish for you to at least weaken him. If you can do this than my master will also pay a quarter of Hanzō bounty."

It was at this point that Kakashi finally spoke up; for once his lone eye held a spark of intensity that only showed when he fiercely defended his comrades. "Who is your master and what is he trying to accomplish. My team will abandon this mission if we do not know the full scope it entails."

The woman paused at this before it sighed again and muttered something about over protective Jōnin. "Very well, I will not divulge the identity of my master but I will at least tell you what he intends to accomplish. But before that you must first know what he is up against. There is an ominous shadow that waits in the light of the moon; its one goal is the destruction of the ninja world. There are few who know of this shadow and fewer than that who are alive. I believe that your Yondaime Hokage was one of them before this shadow set the Kyūbi free from its prison and forced the Yondaime to take his own life to stop it. In ten years time the shadow will gather nine monsters of men whose power eclipses even the power of the Kage. What my master hopes to accomplish in this mission is to prevent the shadow from gaining the first two of those nine. Without these critical two than the nine will lose much of their power but they will still be incredibly dangerous."

It was a while before Kakashi slowly turned to Shisui who shook his head and said, "My Sharingan could see no lie her eyes." Kakashi then turned to Hizashi who also shook his head. Finally he turned to the small woman and sighed before nodding his head. "Very well then, we will proceed with the mission. Before that, tell me, if this master of yours knows so much and is apparently so powerful then why doesn't he do this him or herself?"

The small woman shrugged and said, "Like me, my master does not truly care what happens to this world. It is simply his duty to ensure that the shadow does not awaken the beast slumbering in the moon."

That statement made absolutely no sense to any of the shinobi besides Shisui whose eyes widened disbelief, having made a connection between the last bearer of the Reinngan and the beast in the moon. Kakashi noted the slight reaction and opted to ask him when they had free time. As it was the entire situation was entirely too troublesome.

The small cloaked woman glanced at Kakashi and asked with an air of boredom, "Can we get going now; there really is no hurry as long as we reached the Hidden Village before the sun rises. However since I do not believe that any of the current shinobi wish to procrastinate any further I suggest we move out soon."

Kakashi glanced at the other team leaders, Tenzō and Asuma who both slowly nodded in agreement before he nodded to the small woman before he asked what many in the three groups were dying to know. "If you don't mind me asking, what can we call you?"

The woman paused but then shrugged and said "My name is unimportant but if you truly wish to hear it then pay attention. I am Inago Hyūga of the Yomi no Soeki."

It was Asuma who spoke next. "I have a question, why are you so free with your information, not that I am complaining but aren't you supposed to be a good spy?"

Inago chuckled slightly but it was a horrible empty sound devoid any inflection of emotion. "No matter how this mission ends, my role at the end will be same. Once my usefulness to my master is done he will end my existence."

This time it was surprisingly Kurenai who spoke but to be honest she really couldn't stop herself. "Wait, if your master is going to kill you whether or not you complete your mission then why the hell are you working for him so diligently?"

The small woman smiled hollowly and spoke softly but still all the gathered shinobi could hear what she said. "The reason is quite simple; if I do not perform my absolute best then my master will do to my family what he did to me. I cannot ever allow that to happen to even my most despised enemy and so I will do whatever I must to spare my family my master's wrath. Still there is no use crying about it, once you complete this mission your Hyūga clan will not have to worry their precious Byakugan. Now please hurry and follow me, I will guide you to Ame. Also please save your questions; I will not answer anything else that doesn't pertain to the mission."

**88888888**

The group of shinobi traveled quietly and quickly behind the Inago who hadn't even used chakra to keep up which spoke highly of her physical condition especially considering her size. They made it through the gate with ease since no one was attending it; in fact none of them saw any shinobi in the village. Despite the oddity they continued on when Shisui and Hizashi confirmed that they were not in a genjutsu. As they got closer to where Inago was supposed to drop off her shipment and they still didn't see or feel any shinobi Kurenai finally cracked under the pressure. "Where the hell is everyone?"

Inago glanced at her making Kurenai flush as she realized she had cracked first. The small woman sighed before she seemed to focus for only a matter of seconds before she nodded. "It appears that my intuition was right, your clients have most likely been summoned to their meeting with Hanzō already. As for what happened to the other shinobi, well my associates seemed to have already neutralized them when Hanzō troop left. By my estimates we have maybe a few moments before they clash forces. I really didn't want to have to resort to using this when in this group but I suppose I have no choice."

The Konoha shinobi watched her cautiously but curiously as Inago took something from under her robe that gave off an overbearing aura. When she showed it to them they saw that what Inago had was a black translucent sphere with another marble sized sphere inside of it. She glanced at the Konoha group and spoke with her usual bored tone. "This sphere is based off a magical artifact crafted from Demon Arts known as the Hōgyoku, or the Breakdown Sphere although it is much less powerful. Every ranked agent of the Yomi no Soeki is issued one, the higher ranked the agent the stronger the Hōgyoku. Each one has the power to materialize ones most sincere wish. However unlike the original ours are powered by resolve and conviction. I can use this to reverse summon us to Konan's location ten minutes before she gets there. That should give you enough time to plan a stagey and position yourselves. I will not be there when you get there; I have other more important business to take care of before I am ended."

The gathered shinobi nodded although they all had wide eyes and were struggling to figure out how that was even possible. Even Kakashi, who was himself a seal master couldn't fathom the level of Fuuinjutsu needed to even send someone back a single second. Reverse summoning itself was incredibly difficult without a high level of Fūinjutsu!

Seeing as the gathered shinobi were too shocked to question her Inago shrugged before glancing to the sphere whose overbearing aura magnified to the point that even the Jōnin had trouble simply breathing. Space warped around them almost too fast for most of the Chūnin to comprehend before everything was obscured by a cloud of dense chakra spoke.

**XXX-Ten Minutes Earlier-XXX**

As the chakra smoke cleared Hizashi instantly activated his Byakugan, Kakashi had his headband up to reveal his Sharingan, Shisui had his own Sharingan activated, and even Kurenai instantly began layering them with genjutsu. The rest of the team also prepared themselves for battle in their own ways, all just in case this was a trap.

When the chakra smoke cleared it was revealed that they were standing at the base of a plateau with a kind of road winding up to it. Kakashi opened the scroll Inago had given them and saw that it was a map that had the battle formation of Hanzō's forces. It appeared that not only would they have to face Hanzō himself but a small army of Blackops level Shinobi. The only upside to it was that the map also indicated various traps Inago had set up and the ones Hanzō had set. It even detailed specific spots that had extra Kunai, Shuriken, Kibaku Fuda, and Hyōrōgan stored in hidden scrolls if the fight dragged on. Kakashi quickly showed this to the group of curious shinobi who quickly realized what it was and memorized it. However it was Shibi who asked a question that made them all pause. "If Inago is capable of time travel and we are indeed in the past then wouldn't our existence negate with the existence of our past existence?"

Kakashi frowned having thought the same thing but answered regardless. "If that were the case then we would have been void of existence the moment we entered the past. So don't worry about it." The lazy genius said a bit too cheerfully.

Asuma sighed and glared at Guy before he could go on one of his infamous rants against Kakashi's 'hip' attitude. He didn't actually mind but they on a really, really important and dangerous mission and he really didn't want to die yet. Tenzō shook his head and glanced at Kakashi who shrugged helplessly. They all straitened up though when they heard a voice behind the speak up. "What the hell are Konoha forces doing here?"

The gathered shinobi turned to see three figures in black cloaks, two ales and a female. The first male had orange hair and an impatient look about him with a powerful chakra aura. The second person, the female, had blue hair and amber eyes with a paper flower in her hair. However it was the last person that caught the Konoha Shinobi's attentions. The young man had red hair but it was his eyes that truly stood out. They were metallic purple with six concentric rings surrounding his pupil. All the Shinobi's eyes widened as they realized that they were staring at the barer of the Rinnegan.

…Cliff Hanger

**Ragdain here; Sorry about the time it took me to update, I was having problems with the order of events and I am really anal about details if you haven't noticed. Anyway I decided to point out a couple of things to help people understand the story since so many claimed to be confused. Sadly i also had to push back the Ame fight in order to get this chapter out today but don't worry, it will be the first event in the next chapter. I hope the length of the chapter makes up for my late update.**

(1) This was the reason Azure told Kushina to essentially broadcast her thoughts and emotions with all her will. Since Azure would only trust a mortal who spoke their truest thoughts in which it is impossible to lie, it was the only way Azure would believe anything Kushina said.

(2) This is a reference to the Hollow like nature of Naruto's Yang chakra which is technically no longer chakra in the sense that the shinobi know. It's more along the lines of a mix between human chakra, the Kyūbi's chakra, and the Reiatsu of a Gillian. At the same time Naruto's Yin chakra is a combination of human chakra, Azure's energy, and Shinigami Reiatsu.

(3) This basically goes off the understanding that chakra itself is a metaphysical energy that one must understand to make more powerful to perform more acts similar to the Yin, Yang, and Yin-Yang release techniques. So basically the more you understand your own chakra the stronger it becomes.

(4) The chains of light are the same chains she used against the Kyūbi in the first chapter while the ruins etched on her flesh are the same that she engraved on Naruto to connect to his seal. I will explain more about this later since I don't want to spoil future chapters by giving away too much at the beginning.

(5) Yes in this story the Six Path Sage actually stole the lowest form of Azure's eyes and the energy of her body to empower himself and his decedents with the power of a god, no matter how incomplete.

(6) Yes, Azure is essentially what humanity would label as a true masochist. Otherwise known as one who enjoys hardship, mental anguish, and physical pain. The reason for this is that some young gods actually use this hardship to force their power to mature and grow. At the same time the spiritual anguish actually serves to strengthen their spirits and sharpen their already keen minds as well as to prepare them for battle against other higher metaphysical beings. Older gods have enough experience to know that it also takes peace and serenity to achieve a state of power on a tier all on its own. However this stage can only be achieved by undergoing the ultimate tribulation. Because of this, most young gods don't realize that they have already faced their ultimate tribulation or they grow addicted to the sensations those negative emotions gives them.

(7) All power comes with a cost, the greater the power the greater the cost. So what price could be greater than giving up the power to bring a new life and soul into the world or live on a level of existence that ensured that you would be forever alone and see all other lower beings as about as insignificant as single celled bacteria. Including those you love or admire?


	7. The Yomi no Soeki

Asuma sighed and glared at Guy before he could go on one of his infamous rants against Kakashi's 'hip' attitude. He didn't actually mind but they on a really, really important and dangerous mission and he really didn't want to die yet. Tenzō shook his head and glanced at Kakashi who shrugged helplessly. They all straitened up though when they heard a voice behind them speak up. "What the hell are Konoha forces doing here?"

The gathered shinobi turned to see three figures in black cloaks, two males and a female. The first male had orange hair and an impatient look about him with a powerful chakra aura stronger than most of them besides Kakashi. The second person, the female, had blue hair and amber eyes with a paper flower in her hair. Her chakra aura while powerful wasn't as overwhelming but it was still ridiculously powerful. However it was the last person that caught the Konoha Shinobi's attentions. The young man had red hair but it was his eyes that truly stood out. They were metallic purple with six concentric rings surrounding his pupil. His chakra couldn't be described as anything else than monstrous. For a moment Kakashi even thought the young man was a Jinchūriki until he realized that the young man's aura was pure of any demonic taint. All the Shinobi's eyes widened as they realized that they were staring at the barer of the Rinnegan.

"Well, what the heck are you doing here? Did you come here to try and interfere with the meeting between us and Hanzō?"

The orange haired man would have gone on but the woman with a flower in her hair placed a calming hand on his shoulder. The man turned to her with a mild glare but waited for her to speak. "Yahiko, you remember the group that approached us and offered to help us since they believed in our way of stopping the war without violence. Well they said they were going to hire Konoha shinobi to act as guards during all our important meetings since their belief in the will of fire is similar to our belief."

Yahiko nodded but frowned, he really wanted to d this with just Akatsuki shinobi but he wasn't willing to risk the lives of his friends and so he had reluctantly agreed, with much prompting from Konan. Finally he nodded but muttered something about not needing guards. The one with the Rinnegan raised an eyebrow at Yahiko's behavior but otherwise didn't react. It was ultimately Konoha who cautiously approached the Konoha shinobi, wary of a trap. Kakashi was the one who stepped forward and offered the scroll Inago had given him that held the weapon shipment. Konan took the scroll and quickly checked the seal used to close it. After making sure that it was indeed the real deal she nodded and tossed it to Yahiko who grinned and quickly sent a burst of his chakra into the seal to open it and began to look through it until he found the character he was looking for. He quickly bit down on his thumb and swiped the bleeding appendage across a seemingly random Kanji, unsealing a blade unlike any of them had ever seen. It was a Flamberge, otherwise known as a Wave Blade. A double sided sword with undulating edges which made a wave pattern. It was made out of blue metal and was almost a meter and a half long; it was a type of weapon never before seen in the Elemental Nations.

Yahiko nodded to Konan and the as yet unnamed other male member before he looked to the Konoha team, mainly Kakashi, Azuma and Tenzō who had kept on his cat ANBU mask. "Tell me what do you think of the Yomi no Soeki? The only member that I ever saw was named Inago and she wasn't really talkative."

Kakashi glanced at Azuma who shrugged and glanced at Tenzō who simply looked to Kakashi. He obvious didn't like interacting with foreign ninja, especially if they were the ones he was trying to protect. Kakashi sighed but glanced at Yahiko lazily and finally decided to speak. "She is certainly dedicated but other than the fact that her organization is most likely an extremely ruthless one I cannot make any other conclusions."

Yahiko nodded before Konan decided to get down to business. "Is there any plan to go along with your blade? Inago did say that she would also supply a counter strategy based off intelligence on all Hanzō's previous battle plans and habits."

The Reinngan barer glanced at the still unrolled scroll and pointed out a specific point on the scroll and asked curiously to his two friends. "Don't you see the seal right beside where Yahiko unsealed the blade? It's very distinctive and characteristic of an average storage seal."

Both Konan and Yahiko looked over the place where the Reinngan barer indicated but couldn't see anything. The Konoha squads had enough restraint to let them look over it since their only mission was to essentially act as guards for them. After a hushed whispered conversation all three of them agreed that it was most likely a failsafe to ensure that no one else found the plans. After all it was a well known fact in the inner circles of the Ame that he was almost fanatically loyal to the Akatsuki leader. The Reinngan barer unsealed the seal and in a puff of chakra smoke a larger scroll with the Kanji for strategy written on it flickered into existence. At this point all the Akatsuki members kept a discreet eye on the Konoha team, if it was a trap then this would be the point that it was most likely to be sprung. However the Konoha shinobi were simply waiting for orders and so they relaxed slightly but still kept a look out.

Yahiko opened the scroll and glanced over before a wicked smile plastered itself over his face and he looked to the Konoha teams. "Well it seems that Inago knows more than I had ever imagined. If we plan this right then we might just be able to actually kill Hanzō instead of just driving him away if he decides to double cross us. Inago has already assigned all of you positions; I wonder how she decided that?"

The Konoha team didn't reveal that they already had a sinking suspicion of exactly how Inago knew all that she did. From what they witnessed it didn't appear that time travel was any more difficult for her then the **Kawarimi** was for Kakashi. At least when she had possession of that strange device she called the Hōgyōku.

Unaware of the Konoha teams forbidding thoughts on the matter Konan turned to them and decided introductions were in order. "Thank you for accepting this mission first of all, I am Konan. The orange haired one is Yahiko, the leader of the Akatsuki. The one wielding the dōjutsu is Nagato. The Akatsuki itself was created by Yahiko and incorporates shinobi of Ame who wish to created peace for their country, which acts as the battle ground for the Five Great Shinobi Nations. Our ultimate goal is to stop the Third and current Secret Shinobi World War without the need for further violence."

Kakashi nodded to Tenzō and Asuma before he lazily pointed to himself and his team while speaking. "Since we were sent to be your guards in case of a betrayal by Hanzō I suppose that we will have to tell you a little bit about ourselves. I am Kakashi Hatake, Jōnin, leader of team one. I can be effective at all ranges of combat. I specialize in assassination, ninjutsu, and the sharingan. Under my command I have Shibi Aburame of the Aburame clan, Jōnin. He is effective in all ranges of combat. He specializes in his clan's **Kikaichū** (Parasitic Destruction Insects) as well as intelligence gathering and recon. Kurenai Yūhi, a budding genjutsu specialist, Chūnin. Her talent rivals even some of the higher tier Uchiha Clansmen. She is best suited for genjutsu support and occasional offensive roles if the occasion calls for it. The last of my team is Might Guy, Taijutsu specialist, Jōnin. He is effective in close to mid ranged combat and specialize in offensive Kinjutsu, but is vulnerable to genjutsu."

Tenzō decided to go next although it seemed it was only because he wanted to be done with it as fast as possible. "I am code named Cat, Elite ANBU. I am the leader of team two. I am effective in all ranges of combat. I specialize in advanced heavy combat ninjutsu and taijutsu. Under my command I have Shikaku Nara, Jōnin. He is effective in close to mid ranged combat. He specializes in his clans shadow based ninjutsu and shinobi tactics and strategy. Inoichi Yamanaka, Jōnin. He is effective in all ranges of combat. He specializes in his clans mind based ninjutsu, interrogation methods, and is an accomplished sensor. Lastly is Choza Akimichi, Jōnin. He is effective in close to mid ranged combat. He specializes in his clan's body alteration jutsu and taijutsu. He is our resident tank and is excellent at absorbing damage.

All eyes turned to Asuma who straitened his posture almost unconsciously. "I am Asuma Sarutobi, leader of team three, Jōnin. I am effective in close to mid ranged combat. I specialize in shinobi tactics and strategies, wind elemental composition, and my Trench Knives. Under my command I have Shisui Uchiha, Tokubetsu Jōnin. He is effective in close to mid range combat. He specializes in the Sharingan of his clan, the **Shunshin no Jutsu** (Body Flicker Technique), and advanced forms of genjutsu. Tsume Inuzuka, Tokubetsu Jōnin. She is effective in close to mid range combat. She specializes in her clan's techniques which revolve around their Ninken, and a specialized taijutsu style. Hizashi Hyūga, Tokubetsu Jōnin. He is effective in short to mid ranged combat. He specializes in the Hyūga's Byakugan and the Jūken techniques that are derive from it."

Yahiko nodded and indicated himself first. "I am Yahiko, the leader of the Akatsuki. I do not have an official rank. I am effective in all ranges of combat. I specialize in kenjutsu and Suiton techniques; my main jutsu is **Suiton: Mizurappa** (Water Release: Wild Water Wave)."

Konan nodded and indicated herself bring the center of attention to herself. "I am Konan, the left hand of the Akatsuki. Like Yahiko I do not have an official rank. I am efficient in close and medium ranged combat. I specialize in Origami Ninjutsu and Recon."

Finally the Reinngan barer indicated himself. "I am Nagato, the right hand of the Akatsuki. Like the other two I also have no official rank. I am effective in all ranges of combat. I specialize in my Reinngan and its derived jutsu."

Yahiko huffed in annoyance. "Now that all the introductions have been done can we move on to your guy's defensive formations? We literally have five minutes until Hanzō gets here and I don't want one of our only chances of peace for Ame to be compromised because he thought we were planning to ambush him."

**XXX-Ten Minutes later-XXX**

Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato stood at the base of the mountain facing an entire squadron of shinobi which consisted of four platoons, each member specifically chosen especially to assassinate the three Akatsuki members. A fourth of the Shinobi wore an unmarked Sômen and based on Inago's intelligence they were the ANBU level shinobi which were leading the squads and who took their orders directly from Hanzō. They had been divided in into four platoons each composing of twenty men squads. Each squad had four full combat teams and each team was being lead by black ops ANBU. If Yahiko had any hope that Hanzō still meant to negotiate he was sorely disappointed, mainly because he wished to accomplish peace without violence.

Yahiko decided to try to start the negotiations anyway in the farfetched hope that the shinobi with Hanzō were an elite guard, although he didn't put much hope in it. He stepped forward with his new blade strapped to his back and reframed from making any threatening actions which could provoke the paranoid old shinobi. "I am Yahiko, the leader of the Akatsuki. We have come as you have asked to discuss the possibility of a way to end the Third War without the need for violence."

Hanzō barely seemed to register what Yahiko was saying, his eyes were constantly scanning his surroundings. He didn't know why but he felt that something was out of place but he could tell that his traps were all still active and undiscovered and he saw no signs of any other traps. However the instinct he sharpened to a razors edge was screaming that he was in danger. He decided to forgo his original plan of luring over the female and taking her hostage to force the Akatsuki's subordinate to kill the leader. That plan was most likely already comprised anyway and he refused to be drawn into a counter trap. Finally he decided to just kill them outright and be done with it; there was no reason to risk falling into a trap when he could avoid it by having his shinobi attack. He might lose a fair number of shinobi if what had been reported of these particular Akatsuki members was anything to go by but they still wouldn't be a match for him if he negated whatever trap they had up their sleeve. "I never had any intention of discussing anything with your group, rather you have become a potential threat to my power and rule over Ame and that cannot be allowed."

With a wave of his hand the Squadron of shinobi behind him all launched themselves at the three Akatsuki members who braced themselves for the attack. They split into four platoons to lower the risk of being obliterated by a wide area jutsu and went to surround them. However just as the platoons got into the perfect position to strike a string of explosions, which bleached billows of black smoke; detonated around the platoons as well as in the center of the Akatsuki group obscuring the enemy shinobi's view. In an instant visibly became zero as the billowing black smoke bleed off grey noxious fumes which clouded the air so thickly that one could barely see the shinobi next to them.

In that instant a series of events happened all at once that would forever more reverberate around the shinobi nations and remind all why Konoha was the strongest Hidden Village. The Northern platoon was hit first by a single second, the shinobi who were caught in the black smoke cloud or who were within 3 meters of it began screaming in horror and pain as their flesh and chakra was eaten away. Even as they screamed the smoke forced its way into their mouths, ears, and nose and ate its way into their eyes. Two of the ANBU level shinobi were among those caught in the ambush while the other two tried to get the platoon under control. However they could only watch in mounting horror as the ones caught in the attack finally fell to the ground withering before they cried out with a last blood chocked scream of agony. It was only at that point that the black smoke covering their bodies receded back into the main cloud to reveal skinless corpses with their muscles still spasming and squirting blood from ruptured arteries soaking the ground even as their partially consumed organs literally fell out of their bodies. If one had paid close attention they would have realized that the smoke was giving off a low buzz and appeared to crawling over the dying or dead shinobi. However the explosion had temporarily deafened many of them and the ones not affected were far enough away to miss the buzzing and the small detail while trying to regroup. The ANBU level shinobi were too distracted trying to figure out what was going on, trying to find where the attack was coming from, and trying to get the platoon back under control. After all it was highly improbable that an Aburame with enough chakra to sustain that many insects would be here instead of running their clan since only a clan head or a potential one were that powerful.

They never had the chance to figure it out, the brief instance of denial and surprise of the vicious sneak attack were enough of a distraction for them to be struck down by lightning fast shadow which darted from shinobi to shinobi distributing light taps. The rest of the squadron fell apart and the reaming shinobi organized themselves into their familiar groups outside the radius of the 'billowing smoke'. Unluckily for them the Hyūga attacking them didn't need to close in to attack. The Hyūga fighting style was a closely guarded secret even in Konoha for a reason after all, and a small village like Ame didn't have a very big or effective spy system. They couldn't have known that this particular Hyūga was one of the few who could use chakra Senbon to attack from a distance. They never even felt it when the thin needles of dense and sharp chakra pierced the center of their heads and detonated causing them erupt in violent explosions of bone, blood, tongs, eyes, and brain matter.

In the Western platoon two entire squads had been caught in the Aburame insect trap but only a single ANBU had been killed. However they were actually faring worse. The ANBU left alive was only Chūnin level and had much less actual battle experience on a scale this large. The senior ANBU who had been assigned was the one that was killed and though the remaining ANBU tried valiantly to keep the platoon together, they simply just weren't charismatic enough and lacked the aura of a true leader. As the platoon broke down and shinobi began trying to run the remaining ANBU became distracted and that was their fatal mistake. The instant their attention wavered from the battlefield a black blur which left a neon red trail which emitted a single plume of grey smoke ghosted past them. All three remaining ANBU were reduced to bloody chunks as their blood squirted into the air grotesquely creating a fine red mist. They were killed so quickly that they hadn't even realized they entered the afterlife before their brutalized bodies fell to the ground in chunks. The level between a elite Jōnin who was a Hokage's son and a poorly trained and breed shinobi only slightly more skilled than a Chūnin could produce no other result. The shinobi trying to flee had it even worse though. They were assaulted by a green blur which sped around dispensing gory death. Every punch was strong enough to pulverize bone into dust, liquefy organs, and tear limbs off bodies. Sometimes the strikes were so powerful that they simply tore the bodies themselves apart. Blood, limbs, and gore showered the area as it was revealed why the Gōken (Strong Fist) was so feared in the hands of a master.

The Eastern platoon was more of a slaughter feast than the other previous two skirmishes. Three of the ANBU had been killed and the only remaining one was a greenhorn who hadn't even taken a mission as an ANBU yet. The ANBU as well as those under his commands couldn't even organize themselves before they were hit with an area effect genjutsu. Even though it was a low caliber genjutsu whose only effect was throwing their balance off in a way which resembled the rocking of a boat in rough seas and obscured their eyesight with persistent white spots, it was still devastating. Because of its low yield of effect it was simple enough and persistent enough to resist any of their efforts to break it unless they all tried to release it at once but they never even got the chance to even think about it. The ANBU never noticed the black blur among them and never felt the Kunai that stabbed into his temple and seared his brain in an instant. Those around the unlucky ANBU only felt a swirl of wind and saw blood stained leaves before the ANBU feel down to the ground with half his head blown off. The reaming shinobi were quickly killed off, they would sense a whirl of leaves which would be followed by a shower of blood from either the Subclavian Artery or External Jugular Vein which had been either cut or simply burnt out. Others that actually saw the twin polls of neon red light which signified the Sharingan died as their life blood squirted out of cleanly decapitated bodies before their killer disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

Those of the Southern platoon were faring the best of all, all the ANBU had survived and were all senior and veterans of the last shinobi World War and only one of their Chūnin had been killed by the ambush. Still even the senior ANBU were no match for shinobi feared as the last Hatake of the White Fang. Only the ANBU's eyes were good enough to catch the blurring speed as another of their platoon were slaughtered like dogs but they didn't have the speed to match their eyes and so they could do nothing. However to the normal shinobi there wasn't even a blur, even so they were mainly distracted by the two raging tornados of death that were tearing through their numbers quite literally. Those who were unfortunate enough to be caught in the twister's path were torn apart in a shower of blood, diced muscle, and pulverized bone. Flashes of light accompanied by a thunderous bang going off randomly in the crowd of shinobi had them too disoriented to through Kunai properly or use their deadly poison Senbon with much efficiency.

In all four platoons the surviving shinobi were being impaled by their own shadow or being killed by their own comrade's hand before their murders took their bloody Kunai to their own throat. However the thing they were all worrying about beyond anything else was the giant armored and spiked living boulder trying to tear them apart and most of the time succeeding. Any weapon they threw at the Juggernaut was deflected by the armor and rotation while the giant spiked ball of death only spun faster in retaliation. The one unifying factor between all the battles were that many of the enemy shinobi were either tripped or impaled by roots of trees that weren't supposed to be there before they quickly retreated back into the earth. Spikes of earth occasionally impaled other enemy shinobi not fast enough to get out of the way. All in all it was a complete and incredibly brutal bloodbath. Admittedly things would have not gone anywhere near as smoothly as they did if the shinobi were trained to the standards of one of the great Five Hidden Villages. As it was the most the enemy shinobi had jutsu wise were for assassination and were based almost completely around their tools and poisons while using their chakra to augment them. However in a pitched battle against the elite of the strongest shinobi village such jutsu were not even a threat while their taijutsu and conditioning were negligible at best, hardly even at the level of a high Genin or low Chūnin at the most. Hanzō's own paranoia had made sure of that, he didn't want there to be anyone in his village stronger than him trying to claim his title.

The entire thing was over in a matter of a handful of seconds before the actual black smoke and the haze created by the Aburame insects cleared. The field was revealed to Hanzō's eyes which widened incomprehensibly. The entire field was covered in corpses of his shinobi. Standing in front of the three Akatsuki were twelve others in the same cloaks the Akatsuki wore but whose faces were covered by a gas mask like his own. Despite that he could clearly see the distinctive eyes of the Sharingan and the Byakugan among two of unknown members while a third seemed to have a single Sharingan and another had a strange recessive dōjutsu. Another had hints of the tribal marking of the Inuzuka just visible above the mask and even a Canine partner while the fat one had characteristics of an Akimichi and even wore their signature battle armor cleverly hidden under the Akatsuki cloak. However the one that rang the largest danger bell in his mind was the scarred one with the pineapple hair style and the lazy laid back attitude that made everything he did seem troublesome. Classic characteristics of the Nara clan, possible the most deadly and dangerous opponent one could face when it came to shinobi battle tactics and warfare. He made a note to kill him off first but even he knew that he couldn't easily win against a force that decimated his entire Squadron in thirty seconds unless he had more information about their battle tactics. He wasn't known as the strongest shinobi alive for being stupid after all. He would still probably win the fight but he wasn't arrogant or stupid. Like every shinobi worth his salt he knew that the unknown was the worst thing that one could go up against in a shinobi battle. He would gather information about these members first and see if they were a separate faction that had abandoned their village or if Konoha had a hand in this. He didn't trust anyone and he noted Danzō's unjustified absence and the fact it coincided so perfectly with the introduction of this new force. Danzō was a crafty one after all. He wouldn't put it past the aged war hawk to have planned all this simply to get rid of him and gain control of Ame.

Finally Hanzō decided on his plan of action, even with his Salamanders aid most if not all his poisons would be negated by the twelve unknown shinobi's gas masks. On the other hand he could possibly disable or kill the three main threats to his rule and still escape to gather Intel on these new twelve shinobi. If worst came to worst, depending on the situation, he would either try to kill them all here or escape. With that final thought he slammed his hand onto the ground as he initiated the **Kuchiyose no Jutsu** (Summoning Technique) and summoned his battle salamander which appeared in a blast of white poisonous chakra smoke, his own unique summoning signature. His Salamander used the entrance as a cover to unleash a concentrated blast of toxic vapor into the Konoha group while Hanzō utilized the concepts of Chakura Nagashi, (Chakra Flow) and Seishitsu Henka (Nature Transformation) to flow chakra into the blast while molding to give it the effect of rapid oxidization in the air itself for a collaboration ninjutsu of his own design. Even though the Chakura Nagashi (Chakra Flow) was traditionally only used to augment weapons he had discovered an ingenious way to adapt it for the purpose of enhancing a jutsu like he was doing now. However, not to be outdone, two of the shinobi baring the robes of the Akatsuki jumped in front of the blast already running through handseals for a counter collaboration ninjutsu. The one on the right finished first with a ram seal held up to his mouth as he barely whispered "**Fūton: Fūjin no Jutsu** (Wind Release: Dust Cloud Technique)" before unleashing a gale of wind so powerful and focused it actually produced a low moan as the air around the supersonic blast was sucked into it. The one on the right finished milliseconds after and barely breathed the name of his attack. "**Katon: Hibashiri.** (Fire Release: Running Flame)" An intense stream of flame roared fourth with the heat of a blazing inferno.

The two attacks melded in a single unified but devastating collaboration ninjutsu in perfect unity…too perfectly in fact. Hanzō's eyes narrowed as the two collaboration ninjutsu impacted each other with concussive force that he was able to feel resound within his own body. The Akatsuki's jutsu was actually strong enough to mushroom his own jutsu and cut right threw it while igniting the corrosive element of his chakra and in turn neutralize the toxin in the vapor as it was burnt off. A brilliant counter strategy that revealed experience against poison users, Hanzō decided to be extra careful with them even as he was already preparing to set off one of his traps and initiate his next jutsu while his Salamander jumped to dodging the incoming ninjutsu. However he had to cancel his counterattack when he spotted signs of a genjutsu being woven around him, it was little known but he had a recessive dōjutsu which allowed him to recognize signs of genjutsu. It was a strange quirk which had come about when the poison sack of a black Salamander had been implanted inside his body in the hopes of making a venomous shinobi who in turn was immune to toxins. It had worked but some recessive trait in his DNA had been activated when the poison sack had been implanted in him and as time passed it eventually expressed itself in a recessive dōjutsu, which was often mistaken as a harmless side effect from the black Salamander's poison sack being implanted in his body.

It was only because of this that he recognized the perfectly executed genjutsu hiding the hidden barrage of Kunai. One was aimed towards his spine, third lumbar down. Another hand been aimed at his left lung while another was aimed for the base of his head and neck. All of them had been thrown from his blind spot. Luckily because of the black pigmentation of his sclera his eyes were able to absorb more light and effectively widened his line to sight to see the genjutsu hidden Kunai in time. He shifted his left as if turning to dodge and his Salamander who recognized the hidden signal lifted its tail to block the barrage of Kunai. Upon realizing that he had been outflanked and there was a genjutsu specialist in the Akatsuki group he gazed intently at the group of twelve shinobi in front of him and sure enough his recessive dōjutsu revealed that his three targets plus ten of the unidentified shinobi were simple **Bunshin** (Clones). There was a cleverly hidden genjutsu on them which gave them shadows and made it seem like they could interact with their environment. He realized with a start that his sense of wrongness that he had felt before was his doujutsu sensing the hidden overlaid genjutsu on the **Bunshin** (Clones) which had distracted him enough to miss the fact they were **Bunshin** (Clones). It was an ingenious strategy that he might have come up with himself if any of his genjutsu specialists were that talented. However his attention was attracted again to the tail of his Salamander which was hissing softly. He realized too late that the Kunai had **Kibaku Fuda** (Exploding Tags) tied onto their handles which detonated. However his Salamander had realized what was going in time, having become accustomed to Hanzō's use of the **Kibaku Fuda** (Exploding Tags) in his traps. It slammed its tail onto the ground successfully dislodging the **Kibaku Fuda** (Exploding Tags) just as they detonated while shielding Hanzō with its tail in the nick of time to deflect the spray of debris.

Out maneuvered, surrounded, and outnumbered with almost no Intel on his aggressors while a genjutsu specialist assaulted him Hanzō decided that it wasn't worth it the risk to continue this fight. While he was still sure he would have won the fight eventually it simply wasn't worth the risk of being weakened to the significant degree he foresaw if he stayed to fight and he could always kill them individually later. His true targets had already escaped anyway so there was no reason to fight anymore. With both hands thrust outward he channeled his corrosive chakra technique into the air around him creating a sever temperature difference which created a monstrous cloud of steam which he used to utilize a well planned **Shunshin** (Body Flicker Technique) back to Ame. He sensed someone trying to follow him at a distance but whomever it was angled back when he exited the area. He made a note of it and concluded that the only who had mastered the **Shunshin** to the extent to actually keep up with him while utilizing the **Shunshin** was Konoha's Shisui of the Uchiha Clan. That meant that Konoha was indeed involved in this and increased his suspicions about Danzō. However the thought that actually had him worried that was the possibility of the Third Hokage secretly supporting this. Hanzō knew he was possibly the strongest shinobi alive but even he would think twice before even considering tangling with the Third Hokage, old man or not. The living legend had not gained the title, **Shinobi no Kami** (God of Shinobi) without reason after all. Not only was he still likely the physically strongest and fastest Kage besides the Raikage, he was also the most tactically and strategically experienced. Not only that but simply the array of jutsu's the Third Hokage knew was simply too wide to base any logistically sound strategy against. He actually shuddered just thinking about it.

**XXX-With the Akatsuki Team-XXX**

Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato watched from afar as the battle took place; Nagato the only being able to see through the smoke screen revealed what had happened even as he watched the fight with Hanzō conclude. Yahiko shook his head in bewilderment, not quite believing what he had just seen. Hanzō had actually been forced to retreat. Granted it was only because of a surprise counter attack with twelve of the most elite shinobi Konoha possessed as well as a battle strategy based solely on him. Still it proved that even Hanzō could at least be driven back if faced with enough surprise, superior numbers, and talent were focused on him and that gave him hope that perhaps maybe Hanzō could someday be defeated. He turned to Konan who had a similar bewildered look on her face before she recovered somewhat. They both looked to Nagato who while definitely impressed with the strategy and firepower seemed less enthusiastic and more curious as he tried to decipher how the jutsu's used worked. Yahiko himself frowned as he realized that now Hanzō would no longer be content to ignore them and would focus on attacking them since he now saw them as a threat. However he was not overly concern with that, he would gladly lay down his life if that would help accomplish his dream of achieving a lasting peace.

Kakashi, Tenzō and Asuma appeared a respectfully distance away from them. Their individual teams appearing in a knelling position behind them. Kakashi was the one to speak first in his usual lazy drawl. "Hanzō's ambush force has been successfully naturalized and Hanzō himself has been routed. Our duty of protecting you during negotiations has been fulfilled so we will return to Konoha. I hope the next time we meet we will not be enemies."

Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato nodded, it was a common shinobi saying since one could never know which ally would become an enemy from one moment to the next. However before Yahiko could dismiss them they felt a presence literally appear out of nowhere a few meters beside them. There was no burst of chakra, cloud of smoke, or any other indications of the presence appearing. The gathered shinobi immediately faced the unknown presence in battle positions only to see the mysterious Inago. However this time most of the Konoha noticed that her sclera was now pitch black instead of gray as did the Akatsuki group. When neither the Konoha nor the now official Akatsuki rebels stood down Inago raised a questioning brow.

Surprisingly it was Shikaku Nara who decided to answer her unasked question. "When we last met Inago she said that when this mission was over her master would end her existence. If she had the power to do what we suspect then she would have known that our mission has just concluded. Taking into the fact that your sclera is black and not grey like Inago's we can safely assume that you are not her."

The false Inago smirked cruelly as a forbidding presence similar to the strange device she possessed called the Hōgyōku threatened to smother them all. "That cunning little insect…she hasn't violated her contract either…that little woman is definitely resourceful. Still it matters not, as the Konoha shinobi probably have already guessed Inago has already been terminated, I am her master and am simply using her body to interact with the occupancies on this world. Tell me, did Inago tell you the name of the organization that had subjugated her?"

Conscious of her desire to protect her family Shikaku decided to honor her final wish. "We were not even aware that she worked for any particular organization. But since you mentioned it what is your organization and why did you kill Inago."

The being currently in possession of Inago's body frowned. "The organization she worked for and that I am one of the members of is called the Yomi no Soeki. I represent the revitalized Uzushiogakure, the village Hidden in the Whirling Tides whose inhabitance was saved by the Yomi no Soeki. The Yomi no Soeki itself exists as a separate entity and is a coagulation of various extremely powerful shinobi of every nation, masters of the highest class of Fuuinjutsu, and scientifically advanced entities. It was originally a world organization of assassins whose roots have been lost to time. It was subdued and converted by the Sage of Six Paths himself to combat a hidden prophecy foretold by him. This prophesy concerns a vengeful god fallen from grace which had once lent its strength to the Sage to subdue a supremely powerful demon now known to very few. However when all was done, the fallen god asked of him to spread despair in her name in return for its help. However being a man of Peace the Sage denied its request and banished the fallen god to a dimension unknown. However the Sage foresaw that the fallen god would one day return and foresaw a prophesy horrifying beyond imagination. This ancient prophesy is tied hand in hand with the prophesized ascension of five Saviors of this World and ultimately the Child of Prophesy who would bring peace to the Elemental Nations. According to this hidden prophesy this fallen god would one day return and cloak the true Child of Prophecy in its fiery shadow. There it would twist his body and poison mind into a parody of itself making it an abomination upon this world. This is what the Yomi no Soeki was designed by the Sage to combat against but despite our efforts this part of the Sage's prophesy has already come to pass. The Konoha Jinchūriki, an Uzumaki by blood no less; who was destined to become the fifth Savior of the World and the true Child of Prophesy, has already been possessed by this divine being. Even as we speak it is twists his body and corrupts his mind. It is the reason that the Jinchūriki has been bedridden almost since its birth. With that action the destiny concerning the Child of Prophesy has been undone. The path of destiny is no longer as sure as it once was. The scales of balance between destruction and creation have been skewed. It is the only for this reason that the Yomi no Soeki dare to interfere with the flow of destiny of this world and alter it. This is where Inago's story begins and where I will not go any further. Inago's history is of the Yomi no Soeki and with us it will stay. If you have any of you had questions now is the time to ask. Once I vacate this body it will return the dust from which it came."

Needless to say all of the shinobi were floored, surprisingly it was Yahiko who recovered first and unashamedly looked at Nagato in a new light. Jiraiya's worlds which he had once accidently overhead ringing with the clarity of truth in his mind; "_Nagato it is my belief that you are a descendent of the one who founded the shinobi world. You bare the Reinngan, the Dōjutsu which was said to be the same as the shinobi world's founder, the Six Path Sage. I believe that you might be one of the second of the prophesized five Savior's of the World. I believe that it will only be you that will have the power to defend the world from the coming darkness."_

Yahiko was snapped out of his remembrance when Asuma seemingly composed himself and spoke up. "I have a question. How do you know about the status of our Jinchūriki and his condition?"

The Inago impersonator scuffed as if insulted Asuma even had to ask that. "The Yomi no Soeki helped orchestrate the creation of the Hidden Village themselves in preparation for the fallen gods return. I can tell you in excruciating detail the inner working of the **Shiki Fūin**. I can tell you exactly how many grains of Tobacco your Third Hokage smoked in every pipe he ever had. I can tell you how the Fourth Raikage learned to master his famous Lightning Armor and exactly how it works. The point of all this being that nothing can be hidden from our sight because it is we who have been secretly guiding every action the Hidden Village's take. We have been cautiously and meticulously guiding the actions of the people in this world from the time Hashirama Senju was simply an unimaginable concept in his great grandfather's eyes."

Shikaku frowned slightly as he asked with careful consideration while preparing to fight his way if it came to it. "If that is true then why are you revealing this to us now and why not reveal it to the Kages?"

At Shikaku's question all the Konoha and Akatsuki shinobi braced themselves for an attack. The Inage impersonator grin became even wider and the inherent malice in the air intensified. "Originally the Yomi no Soeki planned to keep manipulating your world from the shadows. If ever anyone discovered us and that they were being manipulated then we sent someone to alter their memory or erase it completely and replace it with ones of our own design. Frankly it is much simpler this way and reduces the chance of the Hidden Villages attempting to back stab us like the world did to Uzushiogakure. If it were up to me I would let the shinobi world burn and dance on the ashes…However because of Inago's actions that option is no longer available and it would be counterproductive to begin killing you. So we have been left with no choice but to take a more direct approach and allow ourselves to be known once again for the first time in centuries."

At this Tenzō spoke up since it was technically his job to report these kinds of things to the Hokage. "Wait, what did Inago do that could have produced such a radical difference in thinking."

The Inago impersonator shook its head firmly. "That information would only be told to your leaders if to anyone of this world at all. Even within the Yomi no Soeki itself, that information is not given out lightly. If I had to grade its security based on your system then it would be beyond S-Rank."

At this point the malice dropped back down to bearable levels but was still there like an unpleasant sensation creeping up the back of their necks. "Take this message back to your leaders, other members of the Yomi no Soeki will inform the leaders of the other four main Hidden Villages. In five years time there will be a summit called in the neutral Iron Country in which the Five Kages will meet with the leaders of the three factions of the Yomi no Soeki. In that time prepare for the apocalypse for it will be upon us."

With that the Inago impersonator closed his eyes before Inago's body disintegrated into Sakura blossoms which were carried away by the wind. The Akatsuki and Konoha shinobi glanced at each other, both uncertain if there was anything else or if that was it. It seemed somehow rather anticlimactic for something of this magnitude to occur without anything interfering and that put them all on edge. So they stayed in their battle stances for an hour before they realized that there was indeed nothing waiting to ambush them when their backs were turned.

**XXX-With the Sandaime-XXX**

In his long life the Sandaime Hokage had experienced many astounding phenomenon and chanced upon creatures and entities beyond imagination. He had faced the atrocities of war thrice without flinching and had seen and felt the carnage of its passing. He had seen and faced the full unrestrained might of the Kyūbi itself in all its madness and malevolence. He had faced and battled against gods and had even witnessed the wonder of the Pure World. Yet nothing he had ever experienced could have prepared him for the abomination of humanity he was currently faced with. Even as he stood before the monster that had come to possess the delicate Jinchūriki he had nurtured for the last six years he could find no words or emotion great enough to describe the anguish in his heart. As a military leader of the strongest Hidden Village in the entirety of the Elemental Nations he knew what he had to do. However just the thought of sealing Naruto away nearly shattered the newfound resolve he had fostered six years ago when Naruto was born. He had taken a chance and put all his faith in the next generation to ignite his resolve once more to hold the office of Hokage until the next Kage could be found. The fact that he had to seal one of the potentially strongest of this generation made his old heart ache with pain; a pain which could only be understood through the trials and experience of a long life.

The entity in possession of Naruto's body finally turned to face him, the metal medical table Naruto's small feet balanced on was burning white hot and beginning to melt. The corona of golden flame helped to lighten the dark room but for some reason the room itself felt frigid. He could actually see a little bit of ice forming a few scant inches from the white hot metal medical table even though the heat had to be extreme. He wondered if perhaps that was an effect of one of Naruto's latent abilities, to absorb all forms of energy around him which apparently included thermal energy. He could see clearly that Naruto's body had indeed become genderless like the report said but he glanced at Naruto's eyes he was unprepared for what he saw. His irises had grown to take up much of the sclera of his eyes making his eyes seem bigger than they actually were. However the thing that caught his attention was that both eyes had developed something similar in appearance to the Sharingan. However there were two other concentric rings that circled the Sharingan like design that were spaced equally enough to allow for two more Sharingan-like designs. From what he had read in the report it seemed as if the Kyūtengan had appeared at full power before its level was downgraded to this state. Fumio had specifically sated in his report that that it was dangerous to look into Naruto's eyes when they had first appeared. However now that they were downgraded he found that even though that genjutsu like effect was still there it was weak enough for him to ignore without conscious thought. It would most probably be too much for most civilians and weak Genin but it appeared that the effect had lost much of its potency.

After a moment of observing him the entity that possessed Naruto spoke; although its voice had a strange duel layer to it and seemed to reverberate in his consciousness and grated against his psyche. "**Pathetic wretched mortal, your purpose has come to an end. Bygone from my sight and cower in despair for my reckoning is at hand. In five years time all shall love me and despair for the pain I shall bring unto this world shall be unmatched.**"

The Sandaime was not impressed; he had heard and seen far too many beings of incredible power say something along those lines before they had either been killed or sealed away. While having a frightening aura and being in possession of the awesome power of the Kyūbi earned the entity a healthy respect for him, the Sandaime was in no way intimidated. After all no matter how powerful one was no being or god could withstand the power of the ultimate chakra technique, Fūinjutsu. There were many different styles of fūinjutsu that could be used to seal everything from the smallest molecule to the strongest warrior to even the gods themselves. However the most powerful fūinjutsu technique, Uzumaki fūinjutsu was said to be the most powerful and effective of all the fūinjutsu techniques. The Shiki Fūin was one of the higher tiers fūinjutsu techniques of the Uzumaki fūinjutsu style and was capable of sealing all things no matter what. The reason for this was that since every being in existence had to face death and the Uzumaki Fūinjutsu style revolved around the Shinigami it was considered to be the most potent of styles. That combined with the Fourth's fūinjutsu techniques learned from one of the last Uzumaki's had created the ultimate fūinjutsu capable of even sealing the Kyūbi. Sadly much of the Uzumaki style fūinjutsu had already been lost at that point. It was said that the First Hokage's wife, Mito possessed such a mastery of the Uzumaki fūinjutsu technique that she was able to seal the Kyūbi into herself. Even the Yondaime had to sacrifice his very soul to essentially do the same thing. Still even though the seal the Fourth Hokage created was based off the incomplete Uzumaki fūinjutsu style, the Yondaime had taken it a step further. Unlike the Uzumaki version which simply allowed Mito to seal the Kyūbi into her body to act as a prison, the Yondaime's Shiki Fūin allowed the person to take on aspects of the thing that was sealed inside them.

Still even with this ultimate fūinjutsu the Sandaime was extremely cautious. The entity he currently faced had already displayed the ability to somehow cancel out active fūinjutsu. It appeared that only the Shiki Fūin had been potent enough to withstand the pulse of energy this being had unleashed. However it could also mean that this creature kept the Shiki Fūin intact purposely to preserve its hold over the power of the Kyūbi indicating some manner of control which made the entity even more dangerous.

Just as the Sandaime was about to risk using the Shiki Fūin the entity currently possessing Naruto's body frowned. In an instant the Sandaime felt his control over his own body and chakra vanish as all his muscles suddenly relaxed and his body slumped forward slightly. He observed the same thing happening to his ANBU even as he tried to force whatever it was keeping his body still away. Through an effort of sheer will the Sandaime broke whatever hold the creature had over his body and chakra before he jumped back. However before he could even try to initiate the Shiki Fūin he was hurtled against the metal wall of the room by some invisible force and held there, his arms spread wide.

The entity scoffed condescendingly as the Sandaime simply glared at it. "**Prepare whatever meager resistance you can mortal for in five years I will return to this world and with me I shall bring the true enlightenment of pain.**"

The Sandaime couldn't do anything as the entity controlling Naruto's frail body seemed to concentrate on something beyond his sight. The space in front of the entity cracked like a sheet of glass with a chime like sound before the fabric of space was rent asunder. The hole in space was perfectly circular and so black that it actually hurt his eyes if he tried to look at it for too long. Along the edges of the of the dark portal was a clear liquid crystal like substance witch circled the black whole and seemed to act as a buffer for normal space and the unbearable blackness. There were strange characters seared into the strange otherworldly material that glowed with their own violet light. He thought that some of the characters looked like some of the constellations he himself had seen when looking at the night sky but most of the others were completely foreign. Then before he or anyone else could do anything to stop it the entity controlling Naruto's body stepped into the portal and vanished in a flash of searing darkness. When the negative light cleared it revealed that the room was covered in a thin layer of ice but also that even thought the medical table had returned to a cherry red from its previous white hot it showed no indication of cooling down despite the fact that the room was freezing. Interestingly enough the thin film of ice a few inches away from the burning hot medical table didn't seem to be affected by the heat yet the concrete floor directly ahead of it was literally almost searing hot.

The Sandaime quickly ordered his ANBU to search the area but in his heart he already knew that Naruto was gone. With a heavy heart he began the long walk back to his office, if what the entity said was indeed true then he would need to prepare his village for any possible attack. Yet as he walked many of the shinobi could see a physical difference in the Sandaime, his eyes lacked the fire they held only minutes before and the steel in his eyes seemed dull. However they knew that he would get over it eventually, the Sandaime had suffered betrayal far worse than this before even thought this betray had cut him more deeply than even Orochimaru's. However as a military leader it was the Sandaime's job to be stronger than himself. He had to carry the weight of his people and give them the strength they needed to preserve in hardship and strife. It was this ability that had influenced the Second Hokage to pick him as Hokage and for the village to choose him again after the Kyūbi attack. Still the Sandaime was old, he didn't know how much strength he had left before he could no longer carry the weight of the Village. Knowing this he also decided to begin to make preparations for the selection of a new Hokage to come after him. Even if he fell he would ensure that the village and his legacy would live on.

**XXX-Western Tokyo, three miles from Karakura Town-XXX**

Three miles from any human settlement a strange black portal appeared for the briefest of instances necessary for a small individual to pass through; this individual was a child of six with a strange corona of golden flame cloaking his person. The child opened his eyes to reveal alien irises which glowed an eerie almost neon red. The child blinked and the corona of golden flame extinguished itself while strange groves which were only now visible and unobstructed by the golden corona returned to their normal pallor.

For a moment it seemed as if the strange child's entry into this dimension had gone unnoticed but upon closer inspection a strange semi human like entity with a white bone mask and golden eyes focused on the child. Undaunted by the strange entrance and even stranger ability of apparent spontaneous combustion the creature growled hungrily as it sensed massive amounts of Reiatsu in the human thing it had encountered. It rushed from the confines of the spars forest it had been patrolling for wondering souls and charged the child fully intending consume the tasty morsel. The child seemed to become aware of it then and despite its strange shape and apparent aggressive intentions there was no hint of surprise on his face. However if one had superhuman sight and the ability to slow time they would have possibly seen the most slightest widening of the eyes before the child controlled himself. Sadly the hollow had neither of the aforementioned ability. So when the groves on the child's skin shinned blue intensely with an inner red light and boiling blood rushed out of the groves surrounded in a blue glow at unsurpassed speeds the Hollow could not be blamed for thinking the kid it was attacking was a monster before it faced a most grisly and horrifying end.

**Ragdain: There really isn't much to say in this chapter but I have finally gotten Naruto to the bleach universe. Oh and since no one noticed I will say that in the last chapter when Azure observed one dimension blowing up another, that it was an important plot device which will be touched upon next chapter. For others who will ask if I will still write about Konoha even thought I will have Naruto in the bleach universe the answer is no. When I am taking Naruto back to his own dimension I will give a condensed rundown of what had happened during that time and perhaps a few flash backs for everything to make sense. Another thing was that people are confused about Inago **(Locust)** and the reference to the Hōgyoku which is a bleach universe device. I will only say that it revolves around some freaky interdimensional time travel that will likely give you a headache trying to think about. I cannot reveal more than that without ruining some parts of the story for the readers but if anyone can guess who she is then I'll give a sneak peak in who she really is. For the last item on the list, many of you were having questions about the Yomi no Soeki **(Plague of Darkness).** I think that this chapter will answer your questions to a somewhat satisfactory extent but still leave enough room to ask questions about it. So until then review, the more you review the more motivated I get and the faster I update.**


	8. Hiatus until further notice

Sorry I haven't had a chance to update in a while, I am kind of having a bit of a personal problem that needs settling. Sorry to say this but don't expect a update anytime this or probably even next month. However If I find the time then I will try my hardest to update sooner. Until then consider this story on hiatus until further notice.


	9. Originator

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything associated or belonging to Naruto, Bleach, Claymore, or any other associated anime or cartoon. This Fanfiction is the property of Ragdain, as well as all original characters and OC's.**

**Rise of the Azure God**

**"Normal Talk: "Why are you on Fire?" **

**"Bijū or Celestial Talk: "Why do you ask?" **

**"Normal Thoughts; _Well I thought being on fire would be a tad uncomfortable!"_**

** "Bijū or Celestial Thoughts; _No it's actually quite nice, the burn is marvelous."_ **

**"Jutsu Incantations:" Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu"**

**Chapter Nine: Originator**

The first and most immediate sensation one Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze consciously recognized was the lack of cold steel on his back. That one simple thing was important, it meant that the last seven hours that passed actually happened and wasn't a product of a horrifying nightmare; when he had been rendered unconscious.

Unfortunately one of the fundamental differences between his mind and the mind of a normal human was that his psyche had no distinctions between a consciousness and unconsciousness state. His mind was in a constant meditative state that allowed clarity of thought and rendered sleeping obsolete while rending the unconscious state unreachable. Because of this Naruto had been keenly aware of what Azure had done. He had only been able to watch in morbid fascination when the fallen god had taken control of his body. Observe silently in horror when the goddess attacked the Sandaime and took him from the only place he knew. To scream in frustration, fear, and anguish as his body walked into the darkness against his will. To cry in despair as he realized now if he ever went back he would be sealed in the deepest depths of Konohagakure.

He had no indication of how long he drifted in the dark or if any time had passed at all. He could only dully comprehend that he had been forcefully taken from the only home he knew, and that the one responsible was none other than the goddess he had pledged allegiance. He knew for a fact that this was something he had to do sometimes in order to accomplish his goal of world peace; yet even when that was the case he had not been prepared to leave Konoha behind. He hadn't wished to leave on such terms with the Sandaime or to cause him such pain. However he realized that either his goddess didn't care about his relationship with the Sandaime and his attachment to Konoha. Or if she knew about those bonds, but she most likely saw them as a threat to his allegiance towards her and consciously chose to sever them.

As Naruto contemplated this bitter realization he became aware that his goddess had materialized in front of him. He looked around him and noted that he wasn't in his mind scape; he projected an inquiry to the most primal part of his mind where the source resided. The 'Source' informed him that the vision in front of him wasn't really Azura's physical body, but a form of Astral Projection. He detachedly noted that even though the height of Azura's astral self matched the real thing, it was as if her essence had been heavily drained making her translucent, ghostly almost. He could actually see the clumped arching golden leaves of the Hakonechloa grass and other forest grass keenly through her astral body. One could almost mistake her for an angle or benevolent spirit if not for the cruel smirk twisting her otherwise flawless face and the innate aura of cruelty. Like last time he had been in her presence, it appeared that her astral body was molded of golden flame. The only difference was where once the corona of blessed flame which once bled blue now burnt a fiery red. The discharge of lightning around her body was curiously now a light blue with a royal purple core.

For a moment the two simply stared at each other; one heartbroken and earnest while the other remained pitiless and malicious. Finally Naruto brought himself to ask the one question which had been festering deeply in his mind. "Why?"

The fallen goddess smirked savagely and nearly shuddered in ecstasy at the pain in his voice. The flaming aura around becoming exited as she took perverse pleasure in the agony she felt in his heart. After a few seconds of basking in his pain Azura calmed almost instantly as she seemed to control herself, the cruel smirk fading into only a mocking scowl. The change was so instantaneous that for a moment Naruto actually wondered if his eyes were playing tricks on him. His goddess voice snapped him out of his half-delirium. "**Know your place, pathetic insect. I am now your Goddess and I will have the respect and compliance I am owed. You no longer have a right to question my motives or actions; you gave up your free will, your very heart and soul to me. How dare you even think to question me?**"

"**Still you are an immature demigod and only a neophyte of my faith at that, yet despite that I already gave you a warning previously. However since you have not had time to go over the bond we now share I shall reserve punishment for later. Besides, I was going to speak to you on this matter anyway so I suppose as long as you know your place there won't be a problem with your question.**"

The blond Jinchūriki reframed from asking why she got so upset when she was intending on telling him anyways. Luckily, he wisely decided it wasn't a good idea to upset his apparently prideful master. Especially when she had complete control over all that encompassed his very being, and apparently derived some sick pleasure in causing him pain.

Azure smirked nastily as she noticed her vessel showing a restraint that he would never have possessed without her 'conditioning'. Conditioning which included trapping him in his own mind forcing him to develop the patience of a saint in order to gain the control to even try to interact with his environment. She decided that the mental conditioning was a good investment, even thought she had to realign her time zone to interact with him for now. It would have been extraordinarily annoying to even attempt to deal with her vessel if it was anywhere as obnoxious and oblivious as it would have been without her intervention.

"**Even though our agreement compels me to assist you in accomplishing your heart's desire and to realize your dreams; I cannot, will not simply do it for you. When it comes to altering the free choice of mortals, not even Kami and Yomi have any power.**"

Here Azura smirked imposingly.** "Of course that is only because they are the two who decided upon that rule and enforce it. Still, just because I can't do anything doesn't mean that my avatar can't. However as I said before you are an immature demigod, and only a neophyte at that whose only developed salient qualities include physical strength and endurance. Never mind any of the celestial salient qualities. As you are now, even though you cannot die, you will be sealed long before you have any chance to do more than escape your former home. You certainly have the knowledge, raw instinct and experience needed to fight some of their strongest but it takes far more than physical violence to create a lasting peace in a dark world like yours. So I have taken you to a realm of my choosing to hone your skills and to find your enlightenment. Without your enlightenment you will never advance beyond the level of a neophyte to achieve your full potential or learn to develop your salient abilities.**"

Naruto nodded, signaling that he understood and raised his hand. He was weary of simply stating his thoughts in case his goddess took it as an insult again. Azure nodded to him, acknowledging his request to ask a question with a condescending smirk that he tried his best to ignore. "What is a demigod or a neophyte for that matter? I don't even have a gist of what a celestial salient quality is. I think I already got the gist of what a salient quality is but I would rather know for sure then guess."

Azure nodded with just the smallest traces of annoyance on her face. Luckily she realized that it was necessary for her to explain some things so that her vessel would be able to fully comprehend what was being granted to him. Even though the knowledge she had left with what he knew as the 'Source' should have already granted to him. "**To answer your first question, a demigod is one who has achieved a state of being and power of the lower echelons of a state known as Deva; the absolute lowest form of existence for one who achieved divinity. This is the state that I have been forced into by the Bright Kami, one of the two Supreme Gods. However, as I said before you are an immature demigod. You lack nearly all the powers, abilities, and not to mention innate qualities of a true Deva. Thus you are known as a demigod by others who hold the title of Deva.**"

Here Azure paused in her explanation to allow her vessel the chance to absorb what she said. Since the blond Jinchūriki was used to time running incredibly slowly and since she was essentially speaking to him in on an equal basis he needed a little while to adapt. Once she was sure he had assimilated everything she noted with pride that he took less time than before absorb the information. Once she was sure her vessel processed all that she continued with a slightly patronizing tone. **"To answer your second question, a neophyte is one who had sworn their allegiance to an individual God such as me. In doing so you have gained the power and authority to perform certain divine and dark rituals; these rituals can be used for channeling my own power through your own body, and to enchant or curse land or souls. I have also granted you the authority use a acolyte level ritual to channel my fury to wield in battle and even inaugurate others as neophytes once you have achieved a high enough authority. Be grateful, many would willingly take their own lives and spend decades in the blackest hell for a chance such as this."**

Naruto nodded hurriedly, he was beginning to realize the sheer extent of his goddess generosity. When Azura felt his sincere desire to live up to his expectations instead of the smug validation that she knew he would have felt had she left him to his destined life, she relaxed immensely. She had feared that the authority and power she had granted him would still go to his head despite the fact that she had taken all the precautionary measures she could; and that she would eventually be betrayed like the Sage of Six Paths had betrayed her(1). When she realized that her vessel had already absorbed what she said much faster than before she realized that her vessel was already trying to meet her expectations. With a genuine grin that for a moment lacked any malice and only the smallest measures of cruelty she continued with her explanation. **"To answer your third question a salient quality is an innate ability or power granted to one who has achieved a transcendent state such as superior strength or endurance. However a celestial salient quality is honestly so far ahead of you that I do not believe that you will need to even try to understand them for at least a few hundred years."**

This time she was ecstatic to see that her vessel hardly needed any time at all to absorb what she was saying. Apparently her vessel… no Naruto was truly trying to make his best effort to seem worthy of being her vessel. She knew that Naruto had the ability to adapt as quickly as he was; she built the ability into him. However the ability would only reach its full potential if he was truly sincere in his desire to prove himself to her. She knew that this point it was safe to grant him a fraction of her trust and decided to grant him just a little more information then she would have otherwise.

"**Now generally the only way to achieve the status of demigod is by fulfilling three very specific conditions. The first and foremost condition is having as much chakra as the Bijū you know as Shukaku the one tailed, at least. The second condition that needs to be met is for one to achieve enlightenment both physically and mentally; as well as a profound understanding of one's own life energies. The third and most important condition is for the body to produce a transcendent substance beyond chakra. This substance has no equivalent that can be voiced in your tongue. If I were to try and speak the name of this energy in the tongue of the gods, all that exists around us would be altered to its very essence. Therefore I shall simply call this energy celestial chakra. It is the very essence of Eternity. Without this spiritual energy one trying to become a Deva or even a demigod will fall to darkness and become a failed ascendant. Those who choose this path are doomed to walk the world of their birth until Chaos come, and beyond."**

The blond Jinchūriki nodded thoughtfully as he contemplated this. Azura noted with the faintest traces of satisfaction that Naruto took a noticeably less amount of time to process what she said. Once he fully processed the information he motioned for her to continue.

"**Generally trying to achieve ascension through any other means would lead to becoming a failed ascendant or to spiritual death. However for you I have made a exception, the various mutations I have forced your body to undergo have forced your body to experience a bastardized version of physical and mental enlightenment without you having actually gaining it. I also had to empower your body with a small amount of my own potent celestial chakra and vital essence as well as the ability to create it. I had no choice but to also use the Kyūbi's chakra as well to stabilize your body and spirit as well to ensure that my seal adhered to your soul and body so the beast couldn't escape. However when we were floating between dimensions I was able to temporarily infuse your being with enough of both mine and the Kyūbi's vital essence to force the transcending of mortal to demigod. However the process was difficult and required almost all the Kyūbi's chakra despite its growth in power and a sizable percent of my own vast energy. Under any other circumstances this would have been impossible, even for the Bright Kami and Yomi since they are the ones who enforce all rules that the gods abide by. Even then, this was only possible because while in between dimensions the rules of the universe are blurred almost beyond recognition. That normally still wouldn't have been enough; it would still have been a futile effort ordinarily, if not for the fact that all people and events that you interact with are also blurred beyond recognition."**

Naruto nodded slowly, having a little trouble understanding some of the terms Azura was using since the 'Source' itself wasn't sure of them. Still he managed to figure out the vocabulary enough to puzzle out the meaning. Once he did however he simply nodded, despite the fact that he was physically shaking with curiosity. He had long since been forced to control his curiosity and impatient impulses out of necessity and it was serving him very well now. "What does that mean, if you only need as much chakra as Shukaku but used so much and from such a diversity of beings, what will happen to me?"

The fallen goddess considered him for a moment before she finally spoke. "**The diversity of chakra and my own potent energy has had quite an interesting reaction with your own life energy and body. However that can be discussed at a later date. A far more pressing and immediate concern revolves around why your gender is changing and a… agreement between me and the being known as Kyūbi. When I first emerged from the space in between dimensions I was in no condition to do anything…**

**XXX-Nine Hours ago-XXX**

In the void that existed between the dimensions of the universe, time and space didn't exist; even physical matter was an abstract concept. In the vast plane of nothingness only thoughts and energy in its most pure form could exist. Imagination became reality for those with the will to warp the very void itself with thought and intent alone.

It was this reason alone that one fallen goddess was drifting through the endless void, her very essence being drawn through the darkness by a will far more ancient and powerful than her own. Azure knew this as well, but the unimaginable pain from the Bright Kami's curse crippled her. She did not have the strength to resist and so all she could do was pray that whatever had her in its thrall would end her torment. Even through the haze of pain she could feel the vile nature of the being that held sway over her soul. The Kyūbi of the reality she was being drawn to, who was now technically a part of her, was bringing her essence through the void and to its waiting maw. It had somehow overcome the Kyūbi from her own dimension and had absorbed its power. She knew that she was in no condition to defeat it and so accepted her fate. Anything, even falling into Chaos was better than this hell of pain.

The point where she meant the wall of the dimension was punctuated with nothing more than a ripple in the fabric of reality as she appeared in her Sealscape. The dimensional barrier could not stop her from entering, even against her will. After all even as a fallen goddess her power over dimension was rivaled only by the Bright Kami and Yomi. The moment she passed through the dimensional barrier she instantly found herself trapped in her quasi-physical form.

Even with her pain ridden mind she could tell that had taken on the form of the body she had crafted for herself when she had first transcended mortality and became a Deva. It stood nine feet even in height, the body structure definitely feminine. Her entire body was covered with white bony plates half an inch thick which could easily be mistaken for armor when in truth it was actually part of her mortal body. The bony plates were held together with a red substance which allowed her to channel monstrous amounts of her own unique energy, to form a powerful full body shield which contoured to her body. It was this shield that produced the aura of flame that seemed to breathe her figure. Her breathtaking braided golden hair only enhanced this, the blue blades at the end of each braid only adding to the mystic. However it was her shining blood red irises that captivated all that gazed into them, the same triple layered Sharingan that first developed when Naruto first gained the Dōjutsu stood out in sharp relief.

The moment she entered her Sealscape she was unbound from the rules of the Bright Kami. Azura's Sealscape was a universe within itself which not only defied Kami's law but actually aligned herself with Yomi, the 'evil' goddess. For in this Sealscape she was god almighty. In this artificially created dimension borne from the construct of her very soul, she could even subjugate the Bright Kami's will but in return she fell out of her favor. Because of this the Bright Kami's curse of Penance could no longer touch her in her sanctuary and she was released from her pain and despair.

For a moment all Azura could do was lay spent, her body trembling from phantom pain. Yet even in her grief at the most profound betrayal imaginable she could not help but relish the pain even as she realized that the limits on her mind had been vastly widened. For the first time since Azura had been forced to endure that hellish existence a cruel smirk made its way on her face as she realized that in a twisted way the Bright Kami had been kind in her torment. Her twisted love of her progenitor growing all the more even as the pain of her masters betrayal cruelly twisted her dark and cruel heart.

Azura carefully picked herself up and glanced down into the reflective surface of the vast clear ocean. Her keen eyes easily piercing the darkness to the entrance of the incorporated **Shiki Fūin** (Dead Demon Seal) that bound the Kyūbi's to her Sealscape. Knowing that she now owed the Kyūbi a great debt that couldn't easily be repaid she allowed her body to sink into the frigid depths of the oceans darkness. As she reached the midpoint in her descent her perception of the world shifted as suddenly instead of sinking she was floating. Azura gracefully aligned herself to the new orientation of gravity without permeable as she began to float to the surface where the entrance to the **Shiki Fūin** (Dead Demon Seal) awaited. The fallen goddess easily breached the surface of the other side of the ocean, the only sign of her passing being a single ripple which announced her presence. Unlike the clear serene ocean on the other side, the ocean she stood in now was an ocean of blood and ruin. Countless bodies in various stages of decomposition littered the seascape while towering futuristic building stood in ruin. Directly in front of her were massive gates that lead to enormous citadel with a massive dome at its center.

Azura's only reaction to this devastation and monumental superstructure was a distasteful frown and a slight narrowing of her eyes. The fallen goddess didn't even pause a second to look at the scenery and simply walked into the citadel. The corridor angled downwards a few hundred feet inside for a few thousand feet before the ground evened out. She had to walk an extra 7000 feet to reach the front of a massive cage whose bars stretched into the air farther than even her eyes could see. She noted with casual disinterest that the room that housed the cage was actually larger than the superstructure itself. Azura considered how she wanted to gain the Kyūbi's attention, however the Kyuubi itself decided it would save her the trouble.

The shadows in the cage receded to reveal the grinning visage that had been the end of billions. The Kyūbi no Kitsune grinned malevolently in all its glory at Azura's stoic facade, its vicious growl resonating throughout the massive chamber which amplified the horrifying sound.

Azura didn't seem to be bothered in the slightest by its entrance; she seemed to be more curious than anything else. Even couching on the floor of the cage Azura estimated that the Kyūbi was at least 120 meters tall and 300 meters long. She suspected that the increase in size was from consuming the other Kyūbi she had sent here since its presence was absent. "**What have you done with the Kyūbi I sent here from the other dimension? For that matter how did you bring me here without your alternate self to act as an anchor?"** Azure asked with only the barest hints of curiosity.

The Kyūbi simply chuckled menacingly at her prone form, that action alone stirring the air with small twisters. When the Kyuubi spoke, its voice was malevolence incarnate and contained an intense hatred and rage beyond even her comprehension. Its furious red eyes possessed intelligence just as vast as its hatred and twice as intense. "**I am the Originator from which all other Kyūbi's have come to exist in the Multiverse. When the Kyūbi you sent arrived it was immediately absorbed back into me and in turn I gained its memories and became connected to you. That Kyūbi actually took up the name granted to it by the human turned Deva that betrayed you and broke your cold and twisted heart. Kurama it was called. You know that that particular fragment of my essence was close to being cleansed of its hatred. However because of your actions all the work and sacrifice the humans of that dimension have made has now been for naught. I see your streak of cruelty has yet to be abated.**"

Azura tilted her head slightly but the sardonic smirk that twisted her pretty face ruined the otherwise innocent curiosity she was going for. "**You are not visible to the sight of the gods, why? Also I have never heard of the term to describe what you are in quite this context. I believe I know what you mean but could you enlighten me as to the true nature of your existence? Last question; you said you received Kurama's memories. How is that possible when I trapped its mind in a physical body and destroyed it?**"

The Kyūbi laughed uproariously, the sound itself inspiring terror in all that heard it. The sheer intensity of all the displaced air could have almost been an attack as harsh wind tore at Azura's flame covered body. Despite this, Azura stood undaunted.

Finally the Kyūbi calmed down sufficiently to speak somewhat normally. "**What a** **impudent little goddess… very well, I will enlighten you to the nature of the Nine Originators, be grateful for you shall be the only other individual being to know this lore as of now.** **All the Bijū that exist in this universe and in all its parallels have an Originator, the source of which their sentience had come to exist. We Originators are not of your universe or dimension and were not created by your forefathers. It is for this reason that we are invisible the sight of your kind, for our existence is alien to this universe. **

"**We nine were once one, we traveled to countless universes from the void and lived to see each one come to an end. However, when we came to this universe as it was first forming we were caught unprepared when it roared into existence, trapping us within. Our existence was torn asunder into nine individual entities which were scattered throughout the Multiverse even as it was forming. The forming universe incorporated the energy released from our fracture and used it as a base to create its personification. What you know today as the Bright Kami and Yomi, all things with chakra in any form are our descendents because of this event. When this universe ends we will be released and free once more, until then we nine have taken this time to enhance ourselves. We each separated small parts of our sentience and seeded them throughout the Multiverse. These seeds formed what your kind now knows as the Jūbi in each Multiverse. These Jūbi were then separated into the nine Bijū that you know of. When the race of the world they inhabited become advanced enough these Bijū are sealed into Jinchūriki. They then look for traits that can advance themselves and us, if they find one they will try to consume their host or be consumed in return. Either way, either they will become one with that fragment of our sentience or they will become the Bijū itself. That is the extent of our lore that I shall grant you for now.**"

"**To answer your last question, the reason I was able to absorb Kurama's knowledge even though you trapped his mind in a physical body and destroyed it, is simple. The mind itself is not important. It is just the center of consciousness that generates thoughts, feelings, ideas, perceptions, and stores knowledge and memories. However all of this is imprinted on the sentience which translates into the very chakra Kurama and all other seeds are created from.**"

Azura had plenty of experience dealing with beings of pure energy and the consequences of absorbing them. That was the only way to defeat a god for any length of time after all, since they were truly immortal beings. After all, energy could never be destroyed, only transformed and gods normally existed in a state beyond energy. So what this…Originator…said next didn't exactly surprise her all that much.

"**Since you absorbed Kurama's chakra which is my sentience and enforced your will over it, you became the next in line to claim the title of Kyūbi. However since your will was dominate the chakra couldn't influence your physical form or mind. This not only stopped your form from transforming into the Kyūbi, it also stopped you from receiving the knowledge and experience from all past holders of the Kyūbi title. Even during your torment, your will was great enough to completely subdue the energy so completely and naturally that you apparently didn't even notice its attempt to dominate your soul. Your title as a goddess is well deserved. If you had chosen any of the infinite dimensions to bring yourself and your vessel your plans would have run exactly as you foresaw when you transcended this plane of existence to gauge a potential threat. It's simply your rotten luck that you picked this dimension out of all the possible dimensions. Not only do you now have to deal with an Originator but the strongest out of all of them, of course the odds of all this happening were so fantastically infinitesimal and random that even I did not see it coming. Considering the fact that my particular energies are the foundation of time and dimension for your universe and you can get a vague idea of how incredibly bad your luck is.**"

Azura's smirk froze as her eyebrow twitched in annoyance, other than that there was no other indications of her rising ire. She knew that she wasn't on good terms with many of the gods and goddess who choose luck as their enlightenment but she didn't know it would be this bad.

The Kyūbi Originator seemed to sense her agitation and smirked mockingly, knowing that Azura knew that she was in no position to do anything about it. Azura finally controlled herself, ignoring the Kyūbi's taunting superior smirk and spoke in an even tone. "**Both of us find ourselves in a situation in which we are trapped together in a single body. Can we not come to an agreement to share this vessel instead of fighting over it like children?**"

The Originator chuckled lowly but finally nodded in consent, no longer finding any fun in taunting the small banished goddess in front of it now that she wasn't reacting. "**Very well, this could entertain me for at least as long as we are both trapped. The only disagreements we might face are who the vessel shall represent and whose abilities the vessel will wield.**"

Azura nodded, "**Very well then let us start with the first issue you brought up. I wish for our vessel to be a reflection of myself onto the mortal plane, thus his gender should match my own as well. Yet I can feel you fighting the change that would do this, why?**"

The Kyūbi Originator nodded slowly before it spoke, "**As you said the vessel is ours and not just your own. My own energy will work constantly to repair any damage to the vessel as well as keep any alteration that benefit it while resisting any that can be seen as a negative. Nearly all of your work on the vessel I have allowed, however I do not want to be kept in a female host. Their turbulent emotions are reflected on me and I detest that feeling more than all else that exist in this universe.**"

Azura nodded in understanding, "**I have the same problem you have with a male host, I find their thoughts insulting and disgusting to a degree that comparable to your own. So how can we solve this to both of our satisfaction?**"

The Kyūbi Originator shrugged, "**Why not try for a vessel that is both male and female, a Hermaphrodite as the mortals call them. Would that work?**"

Azure shook her head in the negative. "**Even a hermaphrodite has either a male or female mentality; I have actually experimented with a temporary vessel like that just to see its effects. While the vessel does have the desire to explore both sexes the mentality is basically still male or female. The only difference is that the hermaphrodite vessel is usually confused at first before deciding on a gender which would not solve our problem. What I would suggest is to actually have the vessel physically shift gender and gender mentality so that we both have our preferences but don't have to suffer for too long.**"

The Kyūbi Originator nodded in agreement, "**I can tolerate residing in a female vessel for many mortal years as long as I try my best to ignore them. However I can tolerate them comfortably for an entire month after they hit puberty before their presence starts to sicken me to the extent that I have to ignore them for an equal time.**"

Azura nodded in agreement, "**I have similar limits but I can tolerate a male vessel who has hit puberty comfortably for a month in a half and only need a month to recover. So how about we base the limit on the cycle of this world's moon. We can force the vessel to change gender based on the amount of ambient moonlight. During each new moon when there is no moonlight is when the change can be commenced. After the first moon cycle the vessel's body can lock that cycle into its biology.**"

The Kyūbi Originator nodded in understanding, "**As a redundancy we can slowly overpower each other's energy in the vessels body at the same rate, so that even if there isn't a moon or if something interferes with the vessels biological clock the change will still take place."**

Azura nodded and grinned, **"That is one problem solved, now all we have to do is figure out whose power the vessel will wield and therefore who the vessel will represent. I suggest that we simply grant our individual abilities to the genders we represent so there is no mix up between us.**"

The Kyūbi Originator nodded in agreement; glad that they could work that out. It was incredibly boring simply waiting in the vast expanse of the universe until the universe itself ended. So this gave him something to do at least that could relieve the never ending boredom, even if he did have to interact with a banished goddess.

**XXX-Present Time-XXX**

For a moment, Naruto simply sat there on the soft ground staring uncomprehendingly at his goddess. Then the moment passed and he simply shrugged, he had given up trying to comprehend the sheer magnitude of raw power Azura and the other gods possessed. When Azura raised an arched brow questioningly at him Naruto blinked."There really is no use whining about something that I obviously have no choice in. I suppose you could liken the mentality to a natural disaster, you can't do anything about it besides prepare for it and live on after it passed."

For a reason Azura couldn't quite comprehend, her vessels answer aggravated her. She supposed that she expected her vessel to try and argue or at least fight for a right to have a say on something so important. However she realized that she had conditioned that trait out of him; as long as he had the power to accomplish his dreams he would suffer anything. That alone aggravated her since she was supposed to be using him, but in a situation like this it felt like he was using her! Azura glared at her vessel before her cruel smirk returned as she remembered the changes she and the Kyūbi Originator had wrought on his body and how they would affect him in this world.

Naruto noticed and raised an eyebrow wondering what he had done now to offend his goddess. Even though he was just now getting used to her he could already pick up a few basic expressions to get a somewhat accurate read of her general moods. Still he was no closer to understanding her than he was the first time he saw her.

Azura finally seemed to calm her simmering fury at the indignation at the implication of being used by a mortal. Her eyes, which usually glared at nothing in particular suddenly focused on him with an intensity that seemed to always unnerve him**. "Your opinion is of no consequence at this point. Perhaps now would be the opportune moment to tell you why you lack a gender instead of being in a guise that pleases me?**"

Even though Azura phrased it as a question the blond Jinchūriki knew that it was more of a statement of a fact that he would do well to agree with. Trusting his instincts on this matter he nodded, not daring to speak lest the simple act of speaking aggravate her. This turned out to be the correct choice since Azura began speaking before he even finished a single nod.** "The reason you are in that guise is to act as a transition between mine and the Kyūbi's preferred gender. Changing your gender too quickly makes both the Kyūbi Originator and me noxious. I suppose that the rapid transition between forms would also forces a massive strain on your physiology and brain chemistry as well. In short it is simply easier and more convenient for me this way and I suppose it benefits you as well."**

Naruto nodded, not really sure why he suddenly felt such an ominous aura radiating off from his goddess or why he had a sudden sense of forbidding. In the future he would realize what this feeling was and what it meant for him and thus name it his 'Oh shit' meter.

Azura cackled internally as she sensed her vessels sudden unease, careful to maintain a neutral façade. In her quasi-physical form she was prone to showing emotion as a mortal would which was something she preferred to avoid; she didn't want to be predictable after all. "**I suppose that you wish to know what abilities I bestowed upon you to accurately reflect myself onto your world.**"

Naruto nodded in the affirmative. Azura smirked at his enthusiasm, for a god or goddess when they granted a champion their abilities it was mainly to enhance their own prestige. To have a champion so enthusiastic about it was considered a mark of honor for the god or goddess. "**Very well, however I will only tell you of the abilities that are necessary for you to know in order for you to survive in this dimension. Unfortunately, the only relevant ability that you will need to know of is how to manifest your soul into a weapon known in this dimension as a Zanpakuto. You shall have the ability to manifest two Zanpakuto, one for a conduit for my power and the other as a conduit for the Kyūbi's power. You will only be able to access my Zanpakuto when you wear my guise and even then only after you have learnt to channel my power throughout your body. The Kyūbi's own Zanpakuto will only be accessible when you are in its preferred guise. Even then you will not be able to summon the blade until you learn to use the power ingrained in your flesh. However in the guise you are in now you cannot summon either Zanpakuto, that guise is… unpleasant.**"

Naruto simply stared at his goddess with a twitching eye but was careful not to let anything else show on his face. He took a quite but deep breathe to steady himself and to calm his nerves before he allowed himself to relax. He reminded himself that he would do anything to fulfill his dream and that his goddess had granted him a great honor in granting him the chance to be her first neophyte. Yet he still felt the almost overwhelming need to simply lie down and bang his head on a rock.

Azura sensed his agitation and smirked, once again feeling superior and confirming that it was indeed her that was using him.

"**However I will grant you one gift that you may know of and use even in the guise you currently take, although this gift will be far more efficient when you are in the guise that I find suitable. My gift shall be the regalia of my faithful who uphold my divine providence. You shall be my first neophyte and so you must wear the full regalia that befit your station. The full regalia have already been granted to you, but to bring them fully into the corporeal realm you must see yourself with eyes unclouded by ignorance. Know that since your mind and body have been forcibly enlightened you shall see yourself and all others as only the enlightened can.**"

Naruto nodded and stood even as Azura's form faded away into a soft golden light which flooded back into his body. With that done he cautiously began to try and stand, he instantly noticed that it felt as if someone had turned off the gravity. Even the most minor of movements were highly exaggerated, just the act of walking made 3 meter craters in the soft ground and flung him in the direction he was trying to go.

Ultimately Naruto decided to enter a trance he usually reserved to deal with the strength gained from his seizures. So he had a devised a trance which he used to help him cope. The trance allowed him to flex every muscle in his body evenly. Once he set a base for how much strength each muscle could generate Naruto slowly but surely learned to gradually control his strength again. He was able to refine his control over his own body to a prodigious level that only a machine could rival. Usually this would take entire lifetimes in normal time even for people who did it religiously every day. However for Naruto whose mind was accelerated far beyond the norm and whose mental development could only be described as inhuman; it only took a few moments before he regained that level of control.

Once the blond Jinchūriki had that limited control of his body he moved onto to trying to regain control of his chakra to its previous level of mastery. Unfortunately, the process Azura used to force his body to transcend mortal bounds had redefined his state of existence. His entire body had transfigured into a type of chakra that mimicked the effects of mater in its innate state, simply to store the immense energies needed to force his body and mind to transcend. The sheer quantity and diversity of chakra stored in his body were so immense; they easily radiated a near solid visible aura of golden chakra with streaks of blue, black and red chakra mixed into the aura. The very blood in his veins had been altered to produce what he knew to be celestial chakra. Its aura matched Azura's description of giving off an aura of radiant chakra.

This celestial chakra felt as if it was somehow more tranquil or serene than any other chakra he had ever encountered. Simply letting himself marinate in Azura's chakra aura almost seemingly rejuvenated his body and cleared his mind. The radiant chakra quite literally made the very blood in veins hum with its intensity. Beyond that, he could sense a different type of chakra emanating from his very flesh and bones. Unlike the celestial chakra whose aura was serene and tranquil the aura of this chakra was malicious, dark, and almost sentient in itself. Reflecting too deeply on this aura made him uneasy, almost paranoid, forcing him to keep his senses open at all times. It was as if someone with the intent to kill was grazing the air just behind his neck with the razor edge of blade. Surprisingly, the two auras didn't oppose each other as one might expect. Instead the two aura's seemed to blend together to create an aura of majesty that was both tranquil and terrifying.

Deciding that he couldn't get anything done at this point when it came to his chakra and the strange energies his body was producing; Naruto slowly stood and carefully began to walk towards where he smelt water and soil intermingling. He focused on the sound of the water flowing gently but steadily to pinpoint the location of a stream. After a few moments Naruto found the small river and found a branch-off that lead to a secluded pool with a clear surface, fed by a small trickle of water. There were occasionally ripples from where the water was feeding into the pool but the disturbance was hardly noticeable and didn't interfere with the mirror like quality the small pool possessed.

Walking closer Naruto peered into the water and noticed instantly what Azura meant. The moment he looked into the water and saw his reflection he felt cloth form onto him even as he saw white cloth form from out of a light golden glow which formed around his reflection. With a light start he realized that the white cloth had defined itself into an ethereal azure Hadajuban-(1) made of a material that was reminiscent of silk which composed itself out of the golden aura around him. It was as soft as feather down and breathed easily as his skin. At the same time he noticed an azure Koshimaki-(2) made of the same feather soft, silk-like material used to create his Hadajuban. He actually wouldn't have known he had been wearing the pair of undergarments if not for the fact that he watched them form. Over the beautiful azure Hadajuban a pure white Hitatare-(3) composed itself from the aura of light. The Hitatare reached his thighs while the sleeves reached to his mid forearm. An azure shaded ethereal cloth fashioned into a soft but incredibly strong Kimono which reached to his lower knees and was loosely tied shut with a pure white silk Obi. On his feet, pure white Tabi socks formed of the same silk-like material that composed his Hadajuban. Over the socks a pair of bluish white Tabi Boots composed of the same soft, but strong material which made up his Kimono. Both of which breathed easily and kept him just the right temperature. The last two things which formed were a pair of white gantlets made of the same material as the Kimono and a plain white Sômen which contoured beautifully to his face with the only opening being a cut out for the eyes.

Naruto simply blinked at the strange event and noticed that despite the mask his vision wasn't restricted but instead his range of vision had seemingly increased. Not knowing what else to do he nodded appreciatively so as not to upset his temperamental and apparently egotistic goddess. He really didn't know what to do in a situation such as this. The 'Source' itself gave of a feeling equal to his befuddlement. Curiously, he noted that the moment the clothing appeared his chakra settled down and flowed smoothly. Experimentally, he tried to gather a small amount of his chakra and noted with bubbling jubilation that his chakra obeyed. Even though his ability to control the precise amount of chakra was heavily skewed and hectic, his ability to simply gather and control his chakra was at least half the level he had mastered before. It might not have been much, but at least this way he actually had a chance to remaster his chakra within the next few months instead of the estimated years it would have taken otherwise. So he was just happy that not all his hard work was for naught. After figuring that with the addition of his unique clothing that his chakra control was around Chūnin level if not a little lower, he tried to see if they worked for his other mysterious energies. He noted with dismay that he didn't even know the basics of controlling the energy in his blood, he didn't even want to touch the dark chaotic energy permeating his body.

Once the blond Jinchūriki had figured out his limits of his chakra control he wondered if they also helped him control his physical strength. He tried to jump three feet into the air and barely left the ground. Frowning he tried to really jump and managed to get a foot into the air. Slowly, understanding began to show on his face and the elation that was bubbling just below suddenly rushed to the surface as he laughed for the first time in his life even as he cried tears of true happiness. He realized that for the first time he didn't have to worry about holding back to avoid hurting anyone, that for the first time since he had awakened to consciousness he didn't have to hold back. He didn't even notice that these tears didn't burn him, or that when fell to the ground small sprouts of grass and flowers sprang up; or that a dead Cicada suddenly sprang back to life when a tear dropped onto its shell. He simply laughed and cried in relief as he realized that he didn't have to fear accidently hurting anyone anymore.

So caught up in his jubilation was he that Naruto didn't notice Azura materialize behind him with a superior smirk on her face. Even though she was a cruel, sadistic, and often prideful goddess didn't mean that she didn't take care of her champion. Still she decided that he could celebrate later after they had finished their business…but it wouldn't hurt to wait a few minutes before she interrupted. She would never admit in a trillion years that she felt pride for causing such happiness. After all even if she was a banished goddess, she was still once a Goddess of Pain and Misery.

When Naruto finally calmed down he finally noticed Azura hovering behind him with her customary prideful smirk but he no longer cared. He was simply glad that she had granted him such a gift, if she didn't have his undying loyalty before then she definitely had it now. He flashed Azura a radiant smile that projected joy and wonder so intense that despite wearing a mask, for just a moment his aura thawed a small part of even her frozen heart. "**I see you truly appreciated my gift, this pleases me. However before anything else, would you like to know the purpose for our presence here?**"

Naruto nodded rapidly, his nine long banes flapping wildly in his enthusiasm. Azura grinned even as her the corona of her aura became slightly agitated in her excitement. "**Your purpose here is to gain a hold of your powers granted by your status as a Demigod. As well accustom yourself to being the vessel of the being known as Kyūbi Originator and I, whose very sentience now resides in your flesh and bones. While we are here you will also have three objectives to complete. The first and foremost objective is to test the capacity of the creatures that dwell in this world's Purgatory known as Hollows. Your second objective is to test the capacity of the warriors of this world's Heaven known as the Shinigami. Discover their strength, how they operate, their weakness, and most of all find the most promising to teach of my faith. The third and last objective is not mandatory but will extremely helpful for you. Discover and learn the Shinigami art known as ****Kidō** (Demon Arts) **and try to learn to utilize the abilities of the Hollows. Your Yin charka is very similar to the Shinigami energies while your Yang chakra is similar to the Hollows.**"

Naruto nodded determinedly even as Azura began to once again fade away; however before she vanished back into him completely she spoke one last time. "**You have an unlimited amount of time; I brought you 220 years before any major events are set to happen. Remember that to normal humans in this world you are a ghost, only those who are spiritually aware shall be able interact with you. In this time you may learn in peace, but know that among the Shinigami there is one who dares to reach towards the boundaries of the gods. In this matter you are not to interfere with either side save to protect yourself."**

Naruto nodded without looking; already knowing that Azura had gone back to the seal engraved on his flesh. When Azura's presence was completely gone from the surroundings he nodded to himself and decided to try something. He focused on the 'Source' which was located in the most primal part of his mind and mentally asked for instruction in chakra control. Instantly his mind was flooded with hundreds of control techniques. The three most prominent techniques were the Leaf floating technique, the Tree Walking technique and the Water Walking Technique. The first technique, the Leaf Floating technique was an E ranked ninjutsu. An Academy level chakra control technique which allowed one focus chakra to a single point on the body such as the forehead. This was all about learning basic control over chakra and learning to concentrate it. The second chakra control technique was known as the Tree Walking technique, a C ranked ninjutsu. A Genin level chakra control exercise that built on the concepts of the Leaf Floating technique. Only instead of focusing chakra into a single point on the forehead, one had to focus chakra into their feet in a spiraling pattern. This created a suction or traction effect that was capable of baring great weight. Since focusing chakra into the feet and controlling it was the hardest thing to do, this was mainly used to build up chakra reserves and learn the basics of chakra manipulation. The third technique was known as the Water Walking exercise, a C ranked ninjutsu. A Chūnin level chakra control and manipulation technique that focused on extreme precision and power. One had to constantly modulate their chakra to match the constantly shifting surface of water.

Luckily there were plenty of trees' and leaves and a nice pond to train on that wasn't very deep at all. However before Naruto even tried to get started with the training the 'Source' granted him one last technique. It was an A-rank Kinjutsu the Shodai Hokage had gained from Uzushiogakure as a dower for agreeing to engage their princess to form an alliance which he had proceeded to place in a scroll that become to be known as the scroll of seals along with the other Fuuinjutsu he had discovered. It was a secret technique used to train Jinchūriki long ago when Jinchūriki were still treated as weapons of war. The technique was actually a Fūinjutsu converted into ninjutsu format and was extremely chakra exertive, so only Jōnin and Jinchūriki could safely use the technique without the risk of dying from chakra exhaustion.

The technique was known as the **Kage-Bunshin no Jutsu** (Shadow Clone technique); similar to the **Bushin no Jutsu** (Clone Technique), this technique created clones of the user. However, these clones were actual copies, not illusions. The user's chakra was evenly distributed among every clone, giving each clone an equal fraction of the user's overall chakra. The clones were capable of performing techniques on their own and could even bleed, but would usually disperse after one or two solid blows. They could also disperse on their own. The clones could be created in roughly the same condition as the original. The **Kage-Bunshins** (Shadow Clones) couldn't be distinguished from the actual person even by the Byakugan, because the clones had the exact same amount of chakra and weren't made from any other substance. A characteristic that was unique to the **Kage-Bunshin** (Shadow Clone) technique was that any experience the clones gained during their existence was transferred to the user once they were dispersed. That made the technique ideal for spying, since the user could simply send a clone to spy on a target, and then have the clone disperse itself without returning to pass the information back to the user. It was also useful for training purposes, since the total amount of experience the user gained was multiplied by the total number of clones being used to train. When done with several hundred clones, training that could take weeks or months could be completed in a few hours. While the technique could be extremely beneficial, attempting to use multiple clones for training purposes could cause a buildup of mental stress. As not only is all the experience collected by the user, but so was all the mental stress from training each clone.

Naruto realized that he wouldn't have to worry about that problem unless he began making thousands of clones. Otherwise his mind was powerful enough and strong enough to deal with the mental stress. He grinned behind his mask as he imagined all the training he could get done, and unlike most shinobi he wouldn't stop at just the basics. He decided that he would create his own exercises to refine his control to what it once was before his body transcended the boundaries of mortality. Perhaps he could even try to go beyond his limit, after all the limits on his minds had been unconstrained.

With a grin bright enough to outshine the sun Naruto set out by first trying all three techniques, just to get a feel for them. It was only then that he tried to create his first **Kage-Bunshin** (Shadow Clone). He got it on his first try but staggered slightly at the drain it cost to make a single clone. He frowned and tried to make another one and noticed that when he pulled on his chakra to create the **Kage-Bunshin** (Shadow Clone), some of the energy residing in his blood had been pulled forth as well. He didn't have anywhere near as much blood energy as he did chakra so the drain was noticeable. He could still probably make hundreds of clones but it would tire him out, also he wasn't too keen on finding out what happened if he ran low on his blood energy.

Still since he had two clones already so he decided to start of light, the **Kage-Bunshin** (Shadow Clone) seemed to already know what to do. One clone went to grab some leaves to practice the Leaf Floating exercise. The other clone wadded into the pond which came up to its waist and tried to channel its chakra in such a way that would slowly raise it out of the water until it stood on the surface. Naruto himself tried the Tree Walking exercise; he lay down by a tree with his feet a few inches away from the tree's bark and tried to pull himself onto the tree.

He of course knew that even with the **Kage-Bunshin** (Shadow Clone) it would take him a while to remaster his chakra to what it was before he was taken to this world. With the introduction of his strange blood energy granted to him by Azura which he was thinking about naming **Ōzora Izou** (Heavenly Legacy), since according to Azura it was her own vital essence; so the name fit. Still this only meant that his estimates of mastering his chakra had been lengthened exponentially. Not only did he have to figure out how his **Ōzora Izou** (Heavenly Legacy) affect his chakra, he also had to figure out how to control it separately so it wouldn't interfere with his jutsu. He already knew how to separate his Yin and Yang chakra to utilize their derived jutsu and could easily remaster it, but now he had to do the same with his **Ōzora Izou** (Heavenly Legacy). He didn't even know what to about the Kyūbi's chaotic energies which permeated his flesh. He really didn't want to even experiment with the stuff despite the promise of power. After all the power in the world is useless if you are enthralled by a demon of the void or not coherent enough to even remember your own name.

With a tired sigh Naruto prepared for a day of frustrations, he already decided that he would have to focus on learning to separate his **Ōzora Izou** (Heavenly Legacy) from his normal chakra first. After all control and precision always came first before trying to craft all knew jutsu. To do anything else was to invite disaster, something that the 'Source' made abundantly clear before it granted him the knowledge of the **Kage-Bunshin** (Shadow Clone).

(1)The Hadajuban is the first undergarment worn in the kimono attire. It is so named as it is worn next to the skin.

(2) Loincloth, Waist Cloth mainly for female warriors.

**AN: Hey, Ragdain here. I am pleased to say that my little bit of personal business has been finished and to expect regular updates for the foreseeable future. Anyway it has been revealed that the Bijū are more then they appear and Naruto has gained a serious upgrade. Unfortunately those powers are going to be extremely difficult to utilize because of the bastardized ascension Azura put him through. For those wondering the new wardrobe does a lot more than look pretty and helps him with his control but I won't reveal what all of it can do at once. In addition, for those wondering how and where the Yomi no Soeki fits in to all this, be patient. The organization will not be mentioned again for some time mainly because it hasn't been invented yet. That is a plot device that will be used in the next arch but there will be a little bit of foreshadowing to help you figure it out in this arch of the story. Finally, for those who are asking when the Shinigami will notice Naruto and act. I will just say that the Spirit King is aware of Azure and the pantheon of Gods and so will not act brashly. That means that the Soul-Reapers activity will mainly consist of scouting, however do not be surprised if there are some brief skirmishes from the Onmitsukidō Stealth Force division and a certain future Second Division Captain. **


	10. The Onmitsukidō

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything associated or belonging to Naruto, Bleach, Claymore, or any other associated anime or cartoon. This Fanfiction is the property of Ragdain, as well as all original characters and OC's.**

**Rise of the Azure God**-

**Normal Talk:** "Why are you on Fire?"

**Bijū or Celestial Talk:** "Why do you ask?"

**Normal Thoughts;** _Well I thought being on fire would be a tad uncomfortable!"_

**Bijū or Celestial Thoughts;** _No it's actually quite nice, the burn is marvelous."_

**Jutsu Incantations: **"Kage-Rasengan"

**Chapter Ten: Onmitsukidō**

Deep in the forests of central Tokyo, a fierce battle was being fought. Man and animal alike fled the forest in droves as two forces, invisible to the mortal eye, battled. Only those humans and animals gifted with strong spiritual presence could perceive the forces that raged against each other.

Through the haze of shattered trees and pulverized rock a great white monster roared a bone chilling scream. The creature was what was known as a Hollow, it was easily 19 feet in height, its exoskeleton made of a pure white bone like substance. The Hollows head and massive jaws were hidden beneath a thick skull mask resembling a Bear's skull. The hulking Hollow was roughly apelike in shape with a thick tail instead of legs with a large spiked ball at its tip. Its savage attacks easily splintered trees and shattered boulders as it tried to eat the thing it was fighting.

The other being was Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze, the Demigod of Azura and currently genderless. 'It' was dressed in a white ensemble with a white mask that neatly aligned with the contortions of its face. It moved nimbly and fluidly, easily weaving out of the way of every one of the Hollows wild attacks with an ease and skill that denoting a vast level of raw experience. Its body literally glowed with suppressed energy forming a shell of energetic but dull light.

Naruto jumped over another wild swing from the Hollow and used the things arm as a platform to hurtle himself violently into the Hollows chest with a vicious double drop kick that actually managed to stagger the beast, even as a distinctive crack was heard as its ribs shattered under the impact. Not even pausing in its now relentless assault Naruto used the Tree Climbing exercise to give him purchase to flipped foreword and landed a devastating double handed hammer blow to the Hollows mask which very nearly shattered it. At the same instant Naruto used both knee's to land a devastating blow to the bottom of its jaw easily shattering it, the two hits managed to finish off the Hollow easily as it feel to the ground dead. Naruto landed lightly on its chest as the debris knocked into the air feel around him even as the Hollow disintegrated into **Reishi** (Spirit Particles).

Naruto shook his head in befuddled exasperation, counting that Hollow it was the fifteenth Hollow he had killed in the last two days since he got here. He didn't really mind since their continuing interference gave him something to put what he learned to practice but he would have thought the creatures would have learned by now. With a shrug he once again walked back to the small lake he had been practicing on, the single two foot high reed at its center served as an excellent balance poll. Once he got there he found that although there was a little debris scattered along the once pristine surface of the water that the single reed still stood. With a casual hop and precise positioning he landed on the reeds tip with the ball of his foot which made only the smallest ripple in the water. Naruto frowned slightly behind his mask, he was trying to land completely silently and even a single ripple was unacceptable, still it was something to mediate on later after his practice.

Three days had passed since his anticlimactic entry into this new world and he had done almost nothing to complete the three objectives mandated by his goddess. The reason for this was that he first had to accustom himself with his body and learn the limits and habits of both himself and those that he had to study. After all it wouldn't reflect very well on his goddess if he wound up getting eaten by a pitiful Hollow, he really didn't want to know what his goddess would do to him for a failure of that magnitude. Still in those three days he had regained a proficient mastery in chakra control that was borderline Jōnin a day ago and had moved on trying at least getting a basic grasp of the celestial youki in his blood.

He had actually asked Azura if he could rename the energy to something more fitting and hoped that it wouldn't offend her. She had gazed at him with an intensity that chilled his blood before finally stating she didn't care one way or the other. However the hidden message of 'you better know what you're getting into' was received loud and clear. He had decided to call it **Seiki** (Sacred Aura) to pay homage to her and hopefully spare himself her cruelty. Azura had apparently been pleased with that since she decided to tell him about one of the innate properties his **Seiki** (Sacred Aura), despite the fact that she had originally wanted him to figure it out himself. Still she made it clear that it would be the only time she gave him information again until he earned the knowledge or learned of it himself.

So Azura ordered him to find a secluded place to meditate and enter the Sealscape that she had created specifically for occasions such as this. Once he had successfully entered meditation Azura had channeled a small portion of a specific part of power into Naruto to create an area effect around her host's body. This was a six by six foot sphere of space that acted like a Gillian's Negación fields used to rescue other hollows. Everything within the sphere was phased into a different dimension of existence that nothing of this dimension could interact with.

XXX-Three days Ago-XXX

Once Azura and Naruto were comfortably in her section of the Sealscape, with Azura herself floating several inches off the water and Naruto sitting directly on the water; Azura began speaking once she was sure that she had her vessels rapt attention. "**The most basic innate property your celestial chakra or Seiki** (Sacred Aura)** as you seem to want to call it, grants you the ability to channel the Seiki **(Sacred Aura)** of the elemental spirits into yourself or into objects. Normally the Seiki of every individual being is unique unto itself. The only acceptation is when a God or Goddess chooses a champion, who then becomes a Demigod when they achieve mental, physical, and spiritual enlightenment. However even then the process of fully coming into their status of a Demigod drastically alters the Seiki granted to them by their progenitor.**"

At this Naruto frowned and catching Azura's attention raised his hand to ask a question witch Azura acknowledged with a slight tilt of her head. With curiosity plain in his voice he asked with an unsure tone. "If that is the case then how can you know of the properties of my **Seiki** (Sacred Aura)? If what you say is true then you should be as clueless as to my **Seiki **(Sacred Aura) as I am, or is there some method to divine the properties of someone's **Seiki **(Sacred Aura)? Not that I would ever doubt your word, I am simply trying to understand!"

Azura felt the stirrings of irritation and outright outrage at her vessel even insinuating in even the vaguest manner that she would speak anything but the truth. However his earnest curiosity and sincerity coupled with his last statement tempered her ire somewhat. So Azura settled for glaring at him slightly with narrowed eyes to express that while she wasn't pleased with his question she would allow it for the sake of learning. **"The knowledge I possess of your Seiki **(Sacred Aura)** comes from a combination of observation, a constancy of base level attributes in all Seiki **(Sacred Aura)**; and the understanding that you're Seiki was created from my own. Consider it an educated conjecture based off experience and extensive study on all forms of this form of energy and everything related to it.**"

Naruto nodded quickly but the curiosity burning in his eyes made her slightly sympathetic and so she chose to elaborate further on the subject. "**Since you seem interested I suppose I can tell of some of my observations and how I have come to my conclusion. The first thing you need to remember is when a God or Goddess chooses to take on a champion they give their champion the power to channel a small amount of their own Seiki **(Sacred Aura)**. When the champion first channels the power of their god their bodies become irradiated with their gods Seiki **(Sacred Aura)**. Eventually the champion's body becomes irradiated with so much of their gods Seiki **(Sacred Aura)** that their bodies own internal energies become saturated with it. This fusion of internal energy and Seiki **(Sacred Aura)** produce a Seiki **(Sacred Aura)** unique to the champion and eventually their bodies learn to produce it. This process usually takes decades as the champion slowly transcends the bonds of mortality the farther he/she gets on the path of Divinity. When the champion finally achieves the rank of a Demigod their own Seiki **(Sacred Aura)** has matured completely.**"

Naruto nodded completely fascinated. During the time he had spent in his confinement his only company aside from medical checkups and the rare visit from the Sandaime had been learning. At that point he had come to be captivated by the theory of science and philosophy, both practical and theoretical. This was mainly because they were some of the few things that were unconstrained by time. He had poured over tomes, scrolls, and manuscripts that he had been allowed to read. Accumulating knowledge that that the 'Source' didn't already possess, such as the vast fields of Metallurgy, Medicine, and Carpentry. The things that interested him the most though were poison both chakra and chemical based.

Naruto's attention was brought back to the present when Azura continued with a slightly annoyed look aimed at him. He realized that it wasn't a very good idea to get lost in thought when Azura was speaking, it could be hazardous to his health.

"**That is how you would normally develop your Seiki **(Sacred Aura)**, however since I forced your body and mind to transcend their mortal bounds something different happened. Since I used most of the chakra of the Kyūbi from your original dimension as well as a fair amount of my own unbound Seiki **(Sacred Aura)**; the development of your own Seiki **(Sacred Aura)** was unnaturally accelerated and bastardized. Your physical body couldn't withstand the sheer amount of raw energy being channeled into your body. So the energy itself broke down your physical body and your very life energies and combined them with the torrent of exotic Seiki **(Sacred Aura)**. Then the energy itself condensed itself into atoms and they condensed to create all the molecules and elements that make up your body.**

"**Because your own Seiki **(Sacred Aura)** is essentially my own adapted to your body there will inevitably be a few small divergences. When you channel the elemental energies into a medium such as yourself it is simply known as Channeling. This is relatively the easiest aspect of your Seiki **(Sacred Aura)** to tap into, that is to say it is only extremely difficult instead of flat out impossible. The second level of channeling is channeling the Seiki **(Sacred Aura)** of the elements into an object. This process is known as Enchanting and is the second level of Channeling. Enchanting and everything above it are completely beyond in your current state.**"

"**The first time we met and you agreed to become mine I channeled my very essence into your atomic structure. The very of bindings of your existence sang with my Seiki **(Sacred Aura)** and in that single instant, when my awesome unchained power was being channeled into your body. That is the essence of channeling. Of course at that time you possessed the power and ability to obliterate all things which exist in this universe and every other. Even then you would have scarcely scratched the most infinitesimal part of my power; such is the might of a true God. That is the true reason that the Bright Kami and Yomi exist, they act as the embodiment of restraint of a God or Goddess power. Even without being restrained, no God or Goddesses can access their true capacity as long as the Bright Kami and Yomi still claim the two thrones of the Bright Halls. This was the mandate the Bright Kami and Yomi demanded of those who wish to walk the path of the Deva.**"

"**Recall the last time I channeled my chained power into you to take you from your cell. Do you happen to recall the state of your steel bed at the time I took control of your body? Did you not find it strange that the metal was cherry hot and did not cool off even when the air in the room was freezing? That was a form of Enchanting; I had been channeling the spirit of flame into your body to imbue the very essence of flame into your being and complete the Dōjutsu I granted you. However some of the pure essence bleed off into the steel table and enchanted it with ever burning flame. If those pathetic shinobi every figure it out they could use the steel table as an anvil to form their weapons which would be granted a weaker enchantment of flame.**"

Naruto nodded in astounded awe, if anything to know that a entity of that magnitude was residing inside him and wished him to become its disciple was humbling like nothing else. It never even crossed his mind that with that unchained power he could have easily destroyed Azura and saved himself the trouble. If he had thought about it he would have known that his loyalty and devotion to his goddess was so fanatical that his mind simply wasn't able to process such a heretical thought. However Azura could think about it and had actually mentioned that specifically just to see what his thoughts on it would be. The fact that Naruto was seemingly incapable of forming a rebellious thought against actually made her pause and forced her revise her opinion of him. Normally someone subjugated like he was would at least have some form of rebellious thought even in fantasy but to see that Naruto was actually incapable of forming one through her off. For one with a heart as twisted and cruel as her own the thought of someone with that sort of devotion actually made her uncomfortable. Only one other had ever had such devotion to her before and even then not to that extent, the Sage of Six Paths.

Azura shook broke herself out of her reminiscence with a force of will and refocused on Naruto, not even a second had passed yet. Perhaps if she treated him differently then she could perhaps chance to open her heart a crack to her vessel…she ruthlessly cut off such blasphemous thoughts, that was how the blasted Sage had broken her heart and she would not suffer the indignity and _hurt_ of it again.

XXX-Current Time-XXX

Naruto was broken from journey down memory lane when he sensed several entities much weaker than the Hollow he just faced surround him in a Manji formation several dozen yards out. Although they were cleverly hidden and were surpassing their Reishi his sight was all encompassing and they were well within his range. Their Reishi felt startling familiar to his own Yin chakra and he came to the correct conclusion that they were Shinigami. They apparently were content to simply observe them so he figured that turnabout was fair play. He suddenly glanced in the direction of Shinigami that had the poorest stealth technique of the lot, not that any of them were actually bad at stealth. The Shinigami froze all movement and even quit breathing while the Shinigami nearest the one he had 'found' removed a bunny from somewhere on her person and let it hot into view. Naruto grinned at the Shinigami's pure cheek and decided to let them be since they weren't attacking him while he observed them as well.

XXX-72 feet away-XXX

The supposedly 'hidden' squad of **Onmitsukidō** (Stealth Force) and their current commander froze as the entity they were carefully from several different locations from breaks in the foliage seemed to spot one of their squad mates.

The **Seireitei** (Court of Pure Souls) had detected the monstrous entities entry into the **Gense** (Living World) the moment it arrived. At first they thought it was a Gillian class Adjuchas and had a Captain on hand to dispatch it. They had to be extremely careful since a battle on that scale could easily destroy the nearby city or cause it to call for a battalion of Menos Grande. However, just before they were given the order to subdue and destroy the dangerous entity a missive from the **Reiō** (Spirit King) himself arrived. It stated that under no circumstances were they to engage the entity unless it entered the **Hueco Mundo** (Hollow Sphere) or entered the **Seireitei**. Until that time they were to monitor its activity in the **Gense** (Living World) and only interfere in the most extreme of circumstances when there was no other choice.

Since the orders came directly from the **Reiō** (Spirit King) the **Seireitei** (Court of Pure Souls) had no choice but to obey. The Captain was pulled back while the **Onmitsukidō**were reinforced with a few more squads who specialized in surveillance. Among those who were chosen was a young relatively short woman who was born Shaolin Fēng into the Fēng house, one of the lower noble houses affiliated with the Shihōin noble house. She was the 9th Generation of her family and as the youngest of six siblings she joined the Executive Militia of the **Onmitsukidō** (Stealth Force) as was tradition in her family. Upon joining the militia, she dropped her given name, Shaolin Fēng, and inherited the code name that her great-grandmother used Suì-Fēng or sometimes Romanized Soifon.

Sui-Fēng was dressed in the black attire of the Onmitsukidō, with neck length black hair and sharp grey eyes. She was the last of her family; her last elder sister had died in her last mission when her position was compromised by a careless 11 division lieutenant. Her hatred of the 11 division squad, which already ran high because of their tendency to demean both the Onmitsukidō and the Fourth division squads, had risen to heights uncharted after that. That particular lieutenant just happened to die a slow and extremely painful death at the jaws of a small hollow after he had been 'incapacitated'. No one had been able or motivated enough to realize that it was anything more than an accident. After all, to the rest of the Divisions of the **Seireitei** (Court of Pure Souls) the **Onmitsukidō** (Stealth Force) were a faceless and expendable force that would never think to turn their blades against them.

Sui-Fēng forced herself to banish such thoughts as she forced her mind to focus on the present. The spy camera in her hands trained on the white clad figure while her sharp sky-grey eyes focused intently on the wraith with a focus and clarity that chilled the very blood in her comrade's veins. The other strange entity which had been summoned from the same golden aura that granted the hollow like creature its current clothing had also yet to show itself again. Directly in front of her the strange Gillian class Adjuchas seemed amused at the rabbit and paid it no more attention. However for some reason she couldn't shake the feeling that this entity wasn't a Hollow at all. The characteristic white mask while present had only appeared when the entity had looked into the pool and a golden glow had surrounded it. On top of that since the entity had been butt naked when it arrived they could all see that though it was genderless like a Hollow and had the grey skin tone, it lacked the characteristic hole on its chest.

Sui-Fēng was sure that her comrades had come to the same conclusion and wondered if that was the reason why the captain was detained and they were sent was because of that fact. Still the…creature…didn't seem inclined to do anything but squat on the reed in the center of the lake with a single foot and stay perfectly still. Other than the trashed clearing and residual Hollow residue still in the air signifying the creature killed a Hollow it wasn't really doing much. Still she took her job seriously and was determined to catch every second of its behavior in case there were any telling signs that would give it away…wait did it just wink at her?

**AN:** **Wow, I haven't updated this story in nine months…I don't really know if I should consider that an accomplishment or not. I really wanted to work on this story but the seeds of my second story just refused to be denied until I had worked out all the kinks and got the base down as well as the basic storyline. If you haven't noticed I have what could be called a mild compulsive obsessive disorder and it just so happened to rear its ugly head. Still sorry about that, I know this chapter isn't as exciting as the others but it moves the story along so I can get to those exiting parts.**

**Now I would like to thank one of my reviewers who gave me the idea of naming celestial chakra Seiki which if you haven't figured out by now it means Sacred Aura. I don't know if that particular review would want to mention his pen name or not so for now I will respectfully refrain from mentioning him or her until I have conformation that it is ok. **

**Another reviewer asked about Inago's use of an Hōgyoku and in particular inquired how it was made in mass like I implied. That is actually another plot device for the fourth arch of the story, yes I actually planned it ahead that far. However because you reviewed I will state that it does use a similar process to create but not nearly on the level of the original Hōgyoku. Like the other reviewer I will gladly state his pen name if I have permission but until then I prefer to stay silent. **

**Well if that**


	11. Perceptions

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything associated or belonging to Naruto, Bleach, Claymore, or any other associated anime or cartoon. This Fanfiction is the property of Ragdain, as well as all original characters and OC's.**

**Rise of the Azure God**-

**Normal Talk:** "What's it like seeing everything?"

**Bijū or Celestial Talk:** "Why do you ask?"

**Normal Thoughts;** _Well I thought being omniscient would give you a headache!"_

**Bijū or Celestial Thoughts;** "_Of course you would think that, you are not a God."_

**Jutsu Incantations:**"**Katon: ****Gōka Mekkyaku No Jutsu**!"

**Chapter Eleven: **Perception

The next 4 dreary days after the group of Shinigami revealed their presence were tedious and saturated with frustration. During the first 2 days of this 4 day period and despite being gifted with Azura's **Seiki** (Sacred Aura) and the **Ōzora Izō** (Heavenly Legacy)from the Kyūbi Originator; Naruto failed to manipulate or influence either energy to any extent whatsoever.

Both of these exotic energies were exquisitely intertwined with his own chakra making their resonance perfectly aligned. This made his chakra, **Seiki**, and **Ōzora Izō **completely indistinguishable to even him. The only sign his **Seiki** and **Ōzora Izō **were even present was the distinct aura they exuded and their notable effect on jutsu. This made it impossible to isolate the 2 energies from chakra in a conventional sense. Luckily, Naruto wasn't conventional by any stretch of the imagination and was accustomed to failure so wasn't easily discouraged.

Still when he got too frustrated with his research he began to blow off steam by messing with the Shinigami that tailed him. He was particularly playful with 1 singular Shinigami since the reactions he got from her were always fun.

One particular dreaded event that Naruto had been waiting for in silent turmoil was set to occur during the first hour of the third day. It was the day that his body began showing the noticeable signs of the coming metamorphosis into the guise that pleased his goddess; the body of a female. It was something that he was secretly afraid of since inside he knew that he identified himself as a male at heart.

His body had been slowly producing chemicals and hormones for a female while cannibalizing the same chemicals and hormones for a male body all last week. Now his body was at a critical point. The balance between his goddess **Seiki** and the Kyūbi Originator's **Ōzora Izō** had been ever so slightly leaning in his goddess favor. It would take close to another 3 weeks for the process to crystallize in a transformation. Still there was nothing he could do about it so he tried his best to put it out of his mind, his goddess got annoyed at him when he worried about things he couldn't change.

In the first hour of the third day Naruto changed tactics. Seeing that his **Seiki** and **Ōzora Izō **were so thoroughly and completely intertwined he decided to see why that was and exactly how they worked. The results were immediate and very enlightening.

By utilizing an **Iryōjutsu** (Medical Technique) he created from medical theoretical text he had once been allowed to read, Naruto made his first breakthrough. Even though he had poured over theoretical text concerning chakra and how it was made for years what he discovered astonished him. Chakra as an energy was normally produced when cells in the cardiovascular system metabolized certain protein. This was the reason the chakra pathways was superimposed on the cardiovascular system. These protein carried trace amounts of heavy elements and minerals found in all animals, plants, and insects in the Elemental Nations.

Normally that would have been the extent of energy production for normal humans besides the biological energy needed for the body to function. However after careful study of many cells throughout their lifetime he discovered 2 other energies unknown to ninja. Normally this observation would have taken 2 weeks at the minimum to complete, since even the cell with the shortest life cycle took 2 weeks to cycle. However by using the only **Iryōjutsu** he was actually taught known as the **Shōsen Jutsu** (Mystic Palm) invented by Lady Tsunade; he was able to encourage cell growth and decay in a matter of seconds.

The first thing he discovered was a mutation in the way certain cells performed mitosis. The mutation in the cells caused them to use chakra to power the process instead of the chemical energy they normally used. The byproduct of cell separation and division created a special protein. This chakra created protein was stored in the cell membrane of the capillaries, blood vessels,arterioles, and the blood cells themselves. The protein emitted a unique radiation that was highly poisonous to other chakra sources and exceedingly erosive. This was part of what gave his blood its acidic qualities.

The radiation saturated his body and interacted with the Yang aspect of his chakra as it melded together with the Yin aspect as it was produced. This created a new energy that was elegantly intertwined with the chakra his body produced as a whole. This new energy was the elusive **Ōzora Izō**. The **Ōzora Izō** increased the overall volume of chakra through his body by a process of inflation. This aligned the normal chakra particles evenly which made his chakra far easier to draw on and allowed for far easier circulation. However it also made finding the **Ōzora Izō** a pain in the ass.

He had only begun to discover the basic dynamics needed to manipulate the **Ōzora Izō** for jutsu just in the past day. Even the very laws of chakra physics were radically different. Unlike chakra which mainly used rotation and circulation to generate an effect, his **Ōzora Izō** seemed to use a form of frequency harmonics. It was like playing a stringed instrument for different combination of sounds to create different songs.

The second energy he discovered was directly related to the process that created his **Ōzora Izō**. When his **Ōzora Izō** and the radiation produced by the special protein interacted with his Yin aspect chakra, a different form of radiation was created. This radiation seemed to actively encourage the creation of specific chemicals compounds in the endocrine system. This chemical caused a particular type of cell to experience rapid necrosis halfway through their life cycle. At the same time the radiation from the special protein rapidly mutated the dying cell's DNA, resulting in cancerous growths.

At that point he had been particularly horrified while wondering why he wasn't dead. As it turned out the cancer cells used his body's chemical energy, nutrients, and chakra to enhance the rate of growth. The blood plasma which was the medium his blood cells traveled through could become a corrosive and potent acid by coagulating around anything deemed a threat. Luckily it considered the cancer a threat and began breaking down the cancer cells the moment they began forming. The balance of growth and destruction leaned slightly in favor to destruction, thankfully. This caused the cancerous cells to slowly disintegrate.

The cancer cells were eventually broken down into unique proteins, chemical compounds, and minerals. The minerals carried trace amounts of the heavy metals the body needed to create chakra. Those same heavy metals gave off a radiation which interacts with both the Yin chakra and **Ōzora Izō **to create what he knew as **Seiki**.

The dynamics of his **Seiki** manipulation were similar to his **Ōzora Izō **manipulation but focuses mainly on undulation and rhythm instead of harmonic frequencies.

After this discovery Naruto finally managed to figure out how to influence both his reserves of **Ōzora Iz****ō **and **Seiki** individual of each other and his chakra. Now that he knew what to look for he was able to disharmonize his chakra, like he trying to break a genjutsu. As he suspected, since both his **Ōzora Izō **and **Seiki** were created differently their reaction to dissonance were different from each other and his chakra. Thus, with a copious amount of practice he was able to draw on these 2 energies and his chakra separately.

The problem he faced now was that his control of these 2 energies when used alone was subpar to a standard Genin. If that wasn't enough he was forced to create new control exercises for both his **Seiki** and **Ōzora Izō **when used alone. However when used in conjunction with each other and his chakra even the B-ranked **Kage-Bunshin No Jutsu** (Shadow Clone Technique) could be upped to a S-ranked kinjutsu.

His goddess refused to offer up anymore help then she already had, while he didn't even know how to talk to the Kyūbi Originator. On top of that, he had to keep an eye out for the annoying squad of Shinigami so he didn't show anything that could be used against him. Speaking of which…

XXXxxx-In the forest-xxxXXX

Naruto was brought out of his contemplation when he sensed a disturbance appear on the coast of the large pond he sat in. He was once again balancing on the single reed in the middle of the pond, which despite the many attacks was still intact. It no longer served a particular purpose in chakra training. The only reason he was on it at all was because it was familiar in an unfamiliar world. It was actually showing him a flaw he seemed to have developed. His body was using far more chakra than it strictly needed in everything it did which created the strange aura of chakra around him. It was actual very wasteful and he was determined to make himself as economically efficient as possible.

Still that goal was put on hold when he sensed what the 'Source' told him was a **Senkaimon** (World Penetration Gate) open on the shore around 23 meters behind him, in the tree line where his favorite tail was currently hiding.

The young demigod made sure to keep his eyes closed while his **Tetsujin Mōdo** (Sage Mode) enhanced senses kept careful track on all the Shinigami's movement and the **Senkaimon**. He had so far reframed from testing the battle potential of his **Ōzora Izō **or his **Seiki**. He had only used his physical strength to take care of the Hollows to avoid giving anything away. He knew just how dangerous and powerful information actually was. Needless to say he was weary.

Luckily during the rare times when he allowed his body to rest he'd been preparing a genjutsu tailored especially for **Reiryoku** (Spiritual Power) beings. The genjutsu only used his Yin chakra to interact with the **Reiryoku** of spiritual beings. Since the Shinigami's body was created of **Reiryoku** they couldn't break the genjutsu without destabilizing their bodies. For this reason his genjutsu was theoretically unbreakable when used on beings created from **Reiryoku**.

Since Naruto had only been given scrolls on genjutsu theory he had a challenging time forming such a complex genjutsu and was sure there more than a few bugs to be worked out. Still with his advanced perception of time it only took a few seconds to utilize the theory to create a prototype of the specialized genjutsu. It only took another second to puzzle out how to invoke it without handseals, thanks to his mastery and familiarity with his own chakra.

The genjutsu was simple in practice if not principle. It was supposed to simply make the target unable to perceive any skill or phenomenon outside the dimension of **Reiryoku **and **Reiatsu **(Spiritual Pressure).

The only down side was that he had to tailor the genjutsu for each individual to account for the different frequency of **Reiryoku** and the different pressures of **Reiatsu** for every person he used it on. Normally this would make the genjutsu worthless in a battle field situation. However in this instance where he just wanted to hide the majority of his power and ability, it was perfect.

He had ultimately decided to wait to cast the genjutsu for the first time until he either worked out all the bugs or the Shinigami actually threatened him. While he was definitely curious as to what sort of effect his genjutsu would have in reality, he didn't want to test it on potential religious converts. After all his goddess had indicated that he was only going to be the first of her disciples which meant that she wanted more to join her faith.

Still he was careful to appear to still be mediating. It wasn't that hard either since he was in a constant meditative state. He had to forgo separating his **Seiki** from his Yin chakra since he hadn't perfected using dissonance while casting any jutsu. However since he theorized that his **Seiki** could only make his genjutsu stronger he really wasn't all that upset. He was slightly worried about what effect it would have on the overall genjutsu though.

Naruto sensed the new Shinigami step out of the **Senkaimon** and was able to analyze and record his specific **Reiryoku** signature and **Reiatsu** pressure for his genjutsu. Thanks to his discovery and subsequent training he was able to purposely enhance his **Tetsujin Mōdo** with his **Seiki** enhanced Yin chakra; while completely removing the **Ōzora Izō** from his Yang chakra. This allowed him to focus only on only visualizing the different frequencies of **Reiryoku** and **Reiatsu** pressure that made up a spiritual entities entire existence. This granted him a form of spiritual clairvoyance similar to his chakra clairvoyance that allowed him to focus solely on **Reiatsu** and **Reiryoku**. Essentially he was able translate **Reiryoku** frequencies into shape and dimension; while visualizing **Reiatsu** pressure in color, sound, and sensations.

It was in this was that he was able to tell what the new Shinigami looked liked even with his eyes closed. The new Shinigami had the appearance of an elderly man with slate grey eyes, a grey mustache, and strait shoulder length grey hair. He wore different clothing then the Shinigami that had been shadowing him. This Shinigami wore a black **Shihakusho **(Garment of Dead Souls) with a white short sleeved Haori over it; fingerless gloves that covered the back of his hand which looped up to attach to the base of the fingers, and a white silk scarf around his neck. His **Reiatsu** was a pale magenta and compared to the other Shinigami shadowing him was absolutely immense and focused with the resolution to kill.

The moment the Shinigami stepped completely out of the **Senkaimon** he used a form of high movement technique. Naruto knew instantly that the kinds of speed the white drabbed Shinigami moved at was beyond the limits of his physical body, even when augmented with chakra for the **Shunshin no Jutsu** (Body Flicker Technique). Though he couldn't physically follow the Shinigami's movements, in his mind's eye the Shinigami was just walking briskly. Typically the Shinigami tailing him moving with a similar speed technique seemed to be moving at a snail's pace. Though that was also incredibly fast his body could still keep up with those speeds, if barely.

Surprisingly the white cloaked Shinigami appeared on the edge of the large pond in front of him. He had expected the Shinigami to at least check in with the others to update his information. He briefly pondered on the situation before ultimately dismissing the entire thought process as pointless. Naruto allowed his eyes to slowly open and fixed them on the Shinigami with a steady and intense glare. He really didn't like it when people did things that he didn't anticipate. Naruto blinked once and stated in deadpan tone "Well, this is unexpected."

The Shinigami seemed to appraise him before speaking. "I am the 27th head of the Kuchiki Clan and Captain of the 6th division of the Gotei 13, Kuchiki Ginrei. I have been sent as a representative from the **Seireitei **(Court of Pure Souls) to divine your intentions in the **Gense** (Material World) and towards the **Seireitei** itself."

Naruto could literally sense the hostility bubbling just below Kuchiki's calm façade and decided that a fight might be likely. He briefly contemplated whether he should use his genjutsu or not, since he hadn't worked all the kinks out of it yet. He ultimately decided that it would be best so that even if they did fight he didn't give what could be a vital advantage away.

Quickly and efficiently splitting his chakra into its Yin and Yang aspects, Naruto gathered the 3000 units of Yin aspect chakra necessary for his genjutsu. A single unit of chakra was the absolute minimum of chakra necessary to complete the Leaf Floating exercise.

He quickly and efficiently filtered out any remaining Yang chakra or **Ōzora Izō** in order to make the aspect of chakra he was working with pure. Even the smallest bit of Yang aspect chakra or **Ōzora Izō** could ruin the entire genjutsu or worse, tip his hand too early. It was only when he had completely purified the Yin aspect chakra he gathered that he began the delicate process of casting the genjutsu. He had to mold and swirl the Yin aspect chakra carefully in the pattern his genjutsu specified. At the same time he also began undulating the **Seiki** in his Yin aspect chakra in a specific rhythm to match the frequency of his Yin aspect chakra.

Doing both at the same time and at the proper intervals was actually challenging and took his full attention. Luckily when he wasn't paying attention his perception reverted to its original state which gave him all the time in the world. Because of that particular quirk all it took to finish his manipulations roughly 1/900 of a second, which for him was a bit on the slow side since he took his time concentrating.

The blond Jinchūriki cast his modified genjutsu and was surprised when he actually saw it advance from him in a delicate ever expanding spherical web. He felt and saw the delicate chakra construct brush against Kuchiki's **Reiryoku** and the other Shinigami's** Reiryoku** in front of him and the others around him and bond to all their **Reiatsu** and **Reiryoku**. What he wasn't expecting was for all the Shinigami to drop like a puppet with its strings cut the moment his genjutsu set.

For a few moments Naruto could only stare dumbly at the fallen Shinigami, although he had suspected something to happen this was a bit much. With a troubled sigh he used his perfected **Tetsujin Mōdo** to sense what was happening in the Shinigami in front of him, even as his lips thinned in distaste.

After looking over all the Shinigami carefully he found the problem which unsurprisingly pertained to the effect of his **Seiki** in the genjutsu. It appeared that the addition of his **Seiki** altered the very nature of his genjutsu. The genjutsu was supposed to stop the Shinigami from perceiving any skills or phenomena outside the dimension of **Reiatsu** and **Reiryoku**. However his **Seiki** enhanced genjutsu took this concept and expounded upon it. It essentially prevented the Shinigami from perceiving any form of **Seiki**, **Ōzora Izō**, chakra, **Reiatsu,** or **Reiryoku**. Since the Shinigami were made of **Reiryoku** they were unable to perceive anything. He didn't even think they could perceive their own thoughts.

The silver lining in the situation was that the Shinigami were still capable of breathing although their heart beat had slowed significantly.

As he continued to study the effects his genjutsu had on the Shinigami, he noted that Kuchiki's **Reiatsu** was gradually breaking his genjutsu. At the same time he realized that the Shinigami's **Zanpakuto **(Soul Slayer) was glowing faintly. He predicted that without his aid the Kuchiki Clan Head would have broken his genjutsu in 2 ½ hours. The young Demigod quickly checked all the other Shinigami and found a similar phenomenon. Although at the rate they were burning through his genjutsu he predicted they would need another 2 or 3 days. The only one that defied that expectation was his favorite tail; although she would still half a day to burn through his genjutsu.

With a barely perceptible sigh Naruto decided that he would use the time he had to work on separating the **Seiki** from his Yin aspect chakra. He usually worked on dozens of things at once since it took a vast amount of concentration. This helped him alter his perception of time to the point that he could perceive time only a couple times faster than normal instead of hundreds of time. However he decided to focus solely on perfecting dissonance which would help him separate his chakra aspects from his celestial aspects. Such single minded concentration would automatically reset his perception of time but priority demanded that his secrets came first.

He decided to keep the flaws in his genjutsu since they likely saved the Shinigami's lives. Without those specific flaws he had little doubt that the Shinigami he used the genjutsu on would have slipped into a coma and simply died as all their vital organs failed. He didn't yet want to make an enemy out of the Shinigami since his Goddess appeared to have a plan concerning them.

Having finally decided what he was going to do Naruto closed his eyes; since he hadn't moved from his trusty reed he simply stayed there and began practicing his dissonance.

**AN: Ragdain here; Before anything else I have to say that though I am annoyed that my muse is so fickle I'm also glad that it's so insistent. Anyway this chapter was to help explain where chakra as energy came from and how it interacted with Naruto's Seiki and Ōzora Izō. This was what was holding me back but luckily inspiration slapped me upside the head in the form of my old biology book. I couldn't even get mad at gravity and momentum for conspiring against me since they got my creative juices flowing.**

**If anyone has any questions they can either PM me or ask in a review, seriously the more reviews I get the more inspired I get to when writing.**

**For those of you who are going to no doubt be sputtering over the use of genjutsu, and the effectiveness against spiritual beings; note that there is precedence with Sōsuke Aizen and his complete hypnosis. **

**Hypnosis itself is a condition that can be artificially induced in which they are very susceptible to suggestions from the hypnotist. Genjutsu ****techniques manipulate the flow of chakra in the victim's brain, thus causing a disruption in their senses. However instead of using chakra which the Shinigami do not possess; Naruto uses his Yin aspect chakra which is similar enough to both Reiatsu and Reiryoku that it can have the same effect as normal genjutsu. However since spiritual beings are made of spiritual energy the effects of genjutsu would be far more pronounced, almost to the point of altering reality for spiritual beings. **

**For better understanding imagine it as if Yakumo Kurama, heiress of the Kurama clan used her Ido demon to cast illusions. They would easily be able to alter reality and even kill; the same principles apply with Naruto in conjunction with spiritual beings.**

**By the way, completely random thought here: Does anyone else think that it was a coincidence that there was a clan named after the Kyūbi's true name that just happen to specialize in illusions; a field that has been historically dominated by Kitsune? **

**Anyway I had better get this updated so that people actually have questions left, I seem to have a bad habit of answering questions in my notes.**

**Ragdain Out **


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